HHS announces Do Not Pay matching for grant payments
Sep 20, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0035 · Published 2026-09-20 · Version 2 · Announced
HHS proposes agency-wide Do Not Pay matching for grant payments, with possible matches reviewed by the grantor.
What happened
HHS’s September 2 Privacy Act notice establishes a matching program comparing grant recipients and payments in the Payment Management System with Treasury’s Do Not Pay Working System. The purpose is to identify and prevent improper payments and support related recovery activities. The notice sets October 2 for comments and states that the program becomes effective 30 days after publication and continues through September 10, 2029. As of September 19, the stated comment date and effectiveness point remain ahead.
The notice treats PMS matching across HHS grants as a single agency-wide program and identifies a matching-agreement waiver under Treasury and OMB authority. Relevant identifiers can include names, taxpayer or entity identifiers, addresses, NPI and payment-related information. A potential match identifies the relevant database and goes to the grantor agency to decide whether further action is needed; it is not automatically a final adverse eligibility determination. The stated population is recipients of HHS grant funds paid through PMS, rather than all Medicare claims or every health care payee.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Announced
- Applicability
- Operationally relevant
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
- Recorded date
- 2026-10-02
- Date type
- comment
Why it matters
Grant recipients need accurate payment identifiers and a response process for eligibility questions, while keeping this program distinct from ordinary health care claims edits.
Recommended action
Have grant-finance and compliance owners verify PMS payee identifiers and supporting records, assign responsibility for possible-match inquiries, and decide whether to comment by October 2.
Sources
- HHS Privacy Act matching program, 2026-17907Official · HHS / Federal Register · 2026-09-02 · Source review 2026-09-10
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