CMS restarts boring data match to snag improper payments
Published Date: 9/25/2026
Notice
Summary
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is restarting a program that matches data with the Treasury’s Do Not Pay system to help stop improper payments. This program affects people receiving federal benefits and will run for three years starting around October 2026, with a chance to renew. If you have thoughts, you can comment by October 26, 2026, but no big costs or changes are expected.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Do Not Pay Matching Restarts for Medicare Providers
CMS is re-establishing a matching program with the Treasury Do Not Pay system that will compare Medicare provider and supplier records to DNP lists. If matches identify ineligible providers or suppliers, CMS may suspend or revoke Medicare billing privileges and seek recoupment of past payments; the program runs about October 19, 2026 to October 18, 2029 and may be renewed.
Matches Must Be Verified Before Actions
Under the Privacy Act rules cited in the notice, CMS must verify any matching results before suspending, terminating, reducing, or finally denying an individual's benefits or taking other adverse actions. Verification is a required step before CMS can act on a match.
Program Aims to Protect Patients and Prevent Fraud
CMS will use Do Not Pay matches to help detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, and to enhance patient safety for beneficiaries in CMS programs. The stated purposes include identifying ineligible providers, preventing future improper payments, and enhancing beneficiary safety.
Provider Data Shared with Treasury DNP
CMS will send identifying and payment-eligibility data about Medicare providers and suppliers to the Treasury’s Do Not Pay Working System. Shared fields include Tax Identification Number (TIN), business and person names, address, date of birth, sex, phone and email; DNP will return matched status data such as matched tax ID, matched name, death date, list status codes, and match dates.
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Key Dates
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