2017-27848. Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY:

Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION:

Notice of a New Matching Program.

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 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 [phone], 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 [e-mail]. 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).