United States Department of Veterans Affairs

13VA047

Individuals Submitting Invoices-Vouchers For Payment-VA

System location:
VA Data Processing Center, Austin, Texas and the fiscal offices of Central Office and other field stations where the fiscal transactions are processed.

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
Contractors, vendors, non-salaried employees, consultants, attendings, fee basis physicians and dentists, and patients.

Categories of records in the system:
Vendor identification listings, invoices and payment records.

Authority for maintenance of the system:
Budget and Accounting Act of 1950 and General Accounting Office Title 8, Chapter 3.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:

To the extent that records contained in the system include information protected by 38 U.S.C. 4132, i.e., medical treatment information related to drug abuse, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, sickle cell anemia or infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, that information cannot be disclosed under a Routine Use unless there is also specific statutory authority permitting disclosure.

  1. Transfer payment information necessary to complete payment of claims and to furnish income data Form 1099 to the Treasury Department in order to effect payment of claims to vendors and to furnish income information.
  2. In the event that a system of records maintained by this agency to carry out its functions indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by general statute or particular program statute, or by regulation, rule or order issued pursuant thereto, the relevant records in the system of records may be referred, as a routine use, to the appropriate agency, whether Federal, State, local or foreign, charged with the responsibility of investigating or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, or rule, regulation or order issued pursuant thereto.
  3. A record from this system of records may be disclosed as a 'routine use' to a Federal, State or local agency or to a non- governmental organization maintaining civil, criminal or other relevant information, such as current licenses, registration or certification, if necessary to obtain information relevant to an agency decision concerning the hiring or retention of an employee, the use of an individual as a consultant, attending or to provide fee basis health care, the issuance of a security clearance, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant or other benefits. These records may also be disclosed as part of an ongoing computer matching program to accomplish these purposes.
  4. A record from this system of records may be disclosed to a Federal, State or local agency, in response to its request, in connection with the hiring or retention of an employee, the issuance of a security clearance, the reporting of an investigation of an employee, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit by the requesting agency, to the extent that the information is relevant and necessary to the requesting agency's decision on the matter.
  5. Relevant information from this system of records, including the nature and amount of financial obligation, may be disclosed as a routine use, in order to assist the Veterans Administration in the collection of unpaid financial obligations owed the VA, to a debtor's employing agency or commanding officer so that the debtor-employee may be counseled by his or her Federal employer or commanding officer. This purpose is consistent with 5 U.S.C. 5514, 4 CFR 102.5, and section 206 of Executive Order 11222 of May 8, 1965 (30 FR 6469).
  6. Relevant information from this system of records, including available identifying data regarding the debtor, such as name of debtor, last known address of debtor, name of debtor's spouse, social security account number of debtor, VA insurance number, VA loan number, VA claim number, place of birth and date of birth of debtor, name and address of debtor's employer or firm and dates of employment, may be disclosed to other Federal agencies, State probate courts, State drivers license bureaus, and State automobile title and license bureaus as a routine use in order to obtain current address, locator and credit report assistance in he collection of unpaid financial obligations owed the U.S. This purpose is consistent with the Federal Claims Collection Act of 1966 (Pub.L. 89-508, 31 U.S.C. 951-953) and 4 CFR parts 101-105.
  7. Disclosure may be made to a congressional office from the record of an individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional office made at the request of that individual.
  8. Disclosure may be made to NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) GSA (General Services Administration) in records management inspections conducted under authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
  9. Records from this system of records may be disclosed to a Federal Agency or to a State or local government licensing board and/ or to the Federation of State Medical Boards or a similar nongovernment entity which maintains records concerning individuals' employment histories or concerning the issuance, retention or revocation of licenses, certifications, or registration necessary to practice an occupation, profession or specialty , in order for the Agency to obtain information relevant to an Agency decision concerning the hiring, retention or termination of an employee or to inform a Federal Agency or licensing boards or the appropriate nongovernment entities about the health care practices of a terminated, resigned or retired health care employee whose professional health care activity so significantly failed to conform to generally accepted standards of professional medical practice as to raise reasonable concern for the health and safety of patients in the private sector or from another Federal Agency. These records may also be disclosed as part of an ongoing computer matching program to accomplish these purposes.
  10. Relevant information (excluding medical treatment information related to drug or alcohol abuse, infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or sickle cell anemia) may be disclosed to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the purpose of identifying improper duplicate payments made by Medicare fiscal intermediaries where VA authorized and was responsible for payment for medical services obtained at non-VA health care facilities. The purpose of the review is for HHS to identify duplicate payments and initiate recovery of identified overpayments and, where warranted, initiate fraud investigations, or, to seek reimbursement from VA for those services which were authorized by VA and for which no payment, or partial payment, was made by VA. HHS will provide information to identify the patient to include the patient name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, and information related to the period of medical treatment for which payment was made by Medicare to include the name and address of the hospital, the admission and discharge dates, the services for which payment was made, and the dates and amounts of payment. Information disclosed from this system of records will be limited to that information that is necessary to confirm or disprove an inappropriate payment by Medicare. These records may also be disclosed as part of an ongoing computer matching program to accomplish these purposes.
  11. Identifying information in this system, including name, address, social security number and other information as is reasonably necessary to identify such individual, may be disclosed to the National Practitioner Data Bank at the time of hiring and/or clinical privileging/reprivileging of health care practitioners, and other times as deemed necessary by VA, in order for VA to obtain information relevant to a Department decision concerning the hiring, privileging/reprivileging, retention or termination of the applicant or employee.
  12. Relevant information from this system of records may be disclosed to the National Practitioner Data Bank and/or State Licensing Board in the State(s) in which a practitioner is licensed, in which the VA facility is located, and/or in which an act or omission occurred upon which a medical malpractice claim was based when VA reports information concerning: (1) Any payment for the benefit of a physician, dentist, or other licensed health care practitioner which was made as the result of a settlement or judgment of a claim of medical malpractice if an appropriate determination is made in accordance with agency policy that payment was related to substandard care, professional incompetence or professional misconduct on the part of the individual; (2) a final decision which relates to possible incompetence or improper professional conduct that adversely affects the clinical privileges of a physician or dentist for a period longer than 30 days; or, (3) the acceptance of the surrender of clinical privileges or any restriction of such privileges by a physician or dentist either while under investigation by the health care entity relating to possible incompetence or improper professional conduct, or in return for not conducting such an investigation or proceeding. These records may also be disclosed as part of a computer matching program to accomplish these purposes.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, and disposing of records in the system:

Storage:
Paper documents, microfiche, magnetic tape.

Retrievability:
Alphabetically by name and numerically by identification number.

Safeguards:
Access to the records is restricted to VA Finance employees. These records are protected from outside access by Federal Protective Service.

Retention and disposal:
Governed by General Accounting Office Regulations which require retention for records created prior to July 2,1975: 10 years and 3 months after the period of the account; records created on and after July 2, 1975: 6 years and 3 months after the period of the account. Records are normally retired to Federal Record Centers within 1 or 2 years after payment and audit. System manager(s) and address: Director, Office of Budget and Finance (Controller)(04), VA Central Office, Washington, DC 20420.

Notification procedure:
Individuals seeking information concerning the existence of a record pertaining to themselves may submit a written request to the VA office to which the invoice/voucher was submitted. All inquiries must reasonably identify the invoice/voucher involved. Inquiries should include name and return address.

Record access procedures:
Individuals or authorized representatives seeking information regarding access to and contesting of records may write, call or visit the VA office to which the invoice/voucher was submitted.

Contesting record procedures:
(see Record Access Procedures above)

Record source categories:
These payment records are compiled from documentation from the vendor, contractor, and employee; Dun and Bradstreet (identifying numbers); and procurement and authorization documentation generated by the Veterans Administration.


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