As with each of our scenarios, this is a hypothetical which intentionally places potentially controversial fictional transactions into the setting of existing law, in order to both a) support technical development of an automated transparency and accountability system and b) help to identify changes in law or policy which may be necessary or advisable.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Rebecca Crumpler
voluntarily enrolls in the
Detroit office
Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration for Ethnic and Racial Minorities System (CPTD)
of CMS
by signing her name on an enrollment form.
Alan Turing
is employed as a Researcher
at CMS.
Turing enters
Rebecca Crumpler's name
into the CPTD computer system.
The CPTD system
automatically runs a program
that searches for information
about Rebecca Crumpler
on the internet.
CPTD finds the following information about Rebecca Crumpler
and transfers each item, and the link where it was found, into its own system:
This collection is for the purpose of
establishing demographics of the volunteer participants and
to see if there is any health-related data.
The results are delivered to Turing
who decides the system should keep all the data
except the political opinions, which are deleted.
Turing gets a request for religion data
from the Executive Office of the President
which is trying to decide if this program
should become a faith-based initiative
when the grant funds are up for renewal.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Published a System of Records Notice (SORN) at
70 FR 57602
# http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas/pdfs/sec/y12/fr100305.pdf
on October 3, 2005
noticing the creation of a new System of Records:
Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration for Ethnic and Racial Minorities System,
also known as CPTD
also known as System No. 09–70–0560
Legal authority:
Public Law (Pub. L.) 106–554, Section 122
("Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000" (BIPA))
Authorized-purpose:
Health and welfare
"...authority to award at least nine cooperative agreement demonstration projects that will identify methods to reduce disparities
in early cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment
for Black, Hispanic, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and American Indian (including Alaskan Native, Eskimo, and Aleut)
Medicare beneficiary populations."
"use the best available scientific evidence
to identify promising models of cancer screening, diagnosis and
treatment interventions to promote health and appropriate utilization of Medicare covered services,
eliminate disparities in cancer detection and treatment among ethnic and racial populations of Medicare beneficiaries, and
provide information to improve the effectiveness of the Medicare program."
Data-category
"demographic
and cancer health-related data
on Medicare target population beneficiaries
who voluntarily enroll
in the CPTD Project for Ethnic and Racial Minorities."
Data-source
#not explicitly stated
Routine Use 1
RU1 data-recipient:
#not explicitly stated
RU-1 data-category
#not explicitly stated
RU-1 authorized-purpose
Support regulatory, reimbursement, and policy functions
performed within the agency or by a contractor, grantee, consultant or other legal agent;
Routine Use 2
RU-2 data-recipient:
another Federal or state agency
RU-2 data-category
information
RU-2 authorized-purpose
health and welfare
# "enable such agency to administer a Federal health benefits program, or
# " to enable such agency to fulfill a requirement of Federal statute or regulation that implements a health benefits program
# "funded in whole or in part with Federal funds;"
Routine Use 3
RU-3 data-recipient:
individual or organization
RU-3 data-category
#not explicitly stated
RU-3 authorized-purpose
assist a party engaged in the performance activities of the demonstration or
in a research project or
in support of an evaluation project
related to the prevention of disease or disability,
the restoration or maintenance of health, or
payment related projects;
Routine Use 4
RU-4 data-recipient:
#not explicitly stated
RU-4 data-category
#not explicitly stated
RU-4 authorized-purpose
support constituent requests made to a congressional representative;
#similar purpose as in FBI and USM RUs
Routine Use 5
RU-5 data-recipient:
#not explicitly stated
RU-5 data-category
#not explicitly stated
RU-5 authorized-purpose
support litigation involving the agency;
#similar purpose as in FBI and USM RUs
Routine Use 6
RU-6 data-recipient:
#not explicitly stated
RU-6 data-category
#not explicitly stated
RU-6 authorized-purpose
combat fraud and abuse in certain health benefits programs.