CMS has announced plans to create computer matching agreements with the Internal Revenue Service and the Veterans Health Administration to regulate information disclosed from the CMS Data Services Hub.
Created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the data hub will allow the new health insurance exchanges to determine people's eligibility for insurance coverage and subsidies by accessing information from various sources, primarily federal agencies. Other hub functions include providing a central point for the IRS when it needs coverage information, providing data for use in consumer Web portals and providing data for the oversight of the exchanges.
The release of the computer matching plans comes on the heels of the IRS issuing its final regulations for the disclosure of taxpayer information under the PPACA.
The hub has sparked concern among Republican lawmakers. Last week, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office to assess the hub's security. Sen. Hatch made his request in response to a report from the HHS Office of Inspector General stating a CMS contractor missed scheduled deadlines for submitting security documents. The report also mentioned that CMS is working with "very tight" deadlines to assess, test and implement security measures before the Oct. 1 open enrollment date for the exchanges.
The public can submit comments on the computer matching agreement notices — published in today's Federal Register — until 30 days after their publication.
More Articles on the PPACA Data Hub:
Sen. Orrin Hatch Requests PPACA Data Hub Evaluation
PPACA Data Hub Deadlines Not Met, HHS Says
IRS Finalizes Rule for Taxpayer Information Sharing