82 FR 61360 - Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 247 (December 27, 2017)

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61360-61361]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27848]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA 2017-0002]


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Notice of a New Matching Program.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as 
amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the Railroad 
Retirement Board (RRB).

DATES: The deadline to submit comments on the proposed matching

[[Page 61361]]

program is 30 days from the date of publication of this notice. The 
matching program will be effective on October 1, 2017 and will expire 
on March 30, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this notice by either 
telefaxing to (410) 966-0869, writing to Mary Ann Zimmerman, Acting 
Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the 
General Counsel, Social Security Administration, 617 Altmeyer Building, 
6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, or email at 
[email protected]. All comments received will be available for 
public inspection at this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested parties may submit general 
questions about the matching program to Mary Ann Zimmerman, Acting 
Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the 
General Counsel, by any of the means shown above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection 
Act of 1988 (Public Law (Pub. L.) 100-503), amended the Privacy Act (5 
U.S.C. 552a) by describing the conditions under which computer matching 
involving the Federal government could be performed and adding certain 
protections for persons applying for, and receiving, Federal benefits. 
Section 7201 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 
101-508) further amended the Privacy Act regarding protections for such 
persons.
    The Privacy Act, as amended, regulates the use of computer matching 
by Federal agencies when records in a system of records are matched 
with other Federal, State, or local government records. It requires 
Federal agencies involved in computer matching programs to:
    (1) Negotiate written agreements with the other agency or agencies 
participating in the matching programs;
    (2) Obtain approval of the matching agreement by the Data Integrity 
Boards of the participating Federal agencies;
    (3) Publish notice of the matching program in the Federal Register;
    (4) Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress 
and OMB;
    (5) Notify applicants and beneficiaries that their records are 
subject to matching; and
    (6) Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating, 
or denying a person's benefits or payments.
    SSA has taken action to ensure that all of its matching programs 
comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act, as amended.

Mary Ann Zimmerman,
Acting Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of 
the General Counsel.

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES:
    SSA and RRB

AUTHORITY FOR CONDUCTING THE MATCHING PROGRAM:
    The legal authority for SSA to conduct this matching activity is 
sections 1144 and 1860D-14 of the Social Security Act (Act) (42 U.S.C. 
1320b-14 and 1395w-114).

PURPOSE(S):
    This matching agreement establishes the conditions under which the 
RRB will disclose to SSA information necessary to verify an 
individual's self-certification of eligibility for the Extra Help with 
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs program (Extra Help). It will 
also enable SSA to identify individuals who may qualify for Extra Help 
as part of the agency's Medicare outreach efforts.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS:
    The individuals whose information is involved in this matching 
program are individuals who self-certify for Extra Help or may qualify 
for Extra Help. SSA matches RRB's information with its Medicare 
Database File, which includes claimants, applicants, beneficiaries, 
ineligible spouses and potential claimants for Medicare Part A, 
Medicare Part B, Medicare Advantage Part C, Medicare Part D and for 
Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage subsidies.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS:
    RRB will transmit its annuity payment data monthly from its RRB-22 
system of records. The file will consist of approximately 600,000 
electronic records.
    RRB will transmit its Post Entitlement System file daily. The 
number of records will differ each day, but consist of approximately 
3,000 to 4,000 records each month.
    RRB will transmit files on all Medicare eligible Qualified Railroad 
Retirement Beneficiaries from its RRB-20 and RRB-22 systems of records 
to report address changes and subsidy changing event information 
monthly. The file will consist of approximately 520,000 electronic 
records. The number of people who apply for Extra Help determines in 
part the number of records matched.
    SSA's comparison file will consist of approximately 90 million 
records obtained from MDB.
    SSA will conduct the match using each individual's Social Security 
number, name, date of birth, RRB claim number, and RRB annuity payment 
amount in both RRB and MDB files.

SYSTEM(S) OF RECORDS:
    RRB will provide SSA with data from its RRB-22 system of records, 
Railroad Retirement Survivors and Pension Benefits System, last 
published on September 30, 2014 (79 FR 58886), and RRB-20 systems of 
records, Health Insurance and Supplementary Medical Insurance 
Enrollment and Premium Payment System (Medicare), last published on May 
15, 2015 (80 FR 28018).
    SSA will match RRB's data with its Medicare Database (MDB) File, 
system of records No. 60-0321, published on July 25, 2006 (71 FR 
42159), and amended on December 10, 2007 (72 FR 69723).

[FR Doc. 2017-27848 Filed 12-26-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4191-02-P