[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 154 (Thursday, August 11, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19576]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: August 11, 1994]
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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
Privacy Act of 1974; Proposed Changes to Systems of Records
AGENCY: Railroad Retirement Board.
ACTION: Notice of proposed change to systems of records.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this document is to give notice of a proposed
routine use in one system of records and a modification of an existing
routine use in another.
DATES: The systems of records for which a new routine use is proposed
or revised shall be amended as proposed without further notice 30
calendar days from the date of this publication.
ADDRESS: Send comments to Beatrice Ezerski, Secretary to the Board,
Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois
60611-2092.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
LeRoy Blommaert, Privacy Act/FOIA Officer, Railroad Retirement Board,
844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092, (312) 751-4548.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The modification of an existing routine use
(``n'' in RRB-20) would authorize the RRB to disclose to an insurance
company administering a health and welfare plan for railroad workers
information regarding Medicare eligibility. The Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993 made substantial changes to the Medicare
Secondary Payer (MSP) provisions. One change made Medicare the primary
payer of benefits for disabled Medicare beneficiaries who do not have a
current employment status with an employer. Previously, the private
employer plan was the primary payer. Employers are required to notify
the Medicare contractor of the name, date of birth, sex, social
security number, and health insurance claim number of each Medicare
beneficiary covered under the private plan who does not have a current
employment status so that the carrier's records are annotated to show
Medicare is the primary payer. To comply with the law an employer needs
to know whether disabled employees are eligible under Medicare. For
railroad employees, the Railroad Retirement Board is the best source
for this information. The existing routine use permits disclosure of
Medicare status to an employer, but only for the purpose of determining
entitlement to benefits under the private plan. The modification would
authorize the RRB to furnish Medicare status to the insurance company
acting as agent of the employer for the purpose of enabling the
employer to comply with the new provisions of the law.
The Railroad Retirement Board has determined that this proposed
routine use meets the compatibility requirement because it is a
necessary and proper use.
The proposed routine use (``ee'' for RRB-21) would authorize the
RRB to disclose to an insurance company administering a medical
insurance program for railroad workers non-medical information relating
to determinations of sickness benefits by the RRB for purposes of
determining entitlement to payment or reimbursement of medical expenses
under the program. Presently, under certain circumstances, the
insurance company cannot determine from the medical bills submitted for
reimbursement or current data available to it whether a railroad worker
remains disabled. In these cases, the insurance company requires the
employee to furnish proof of disability. This usually requires the
employee to have a form completed by the treating physician, which
causes a delay in reimbursement and often additional cost to the
employee. When the plan calls for direct payment by the insurance
company, the inability of the insurance company or its agent to
determine entitlement in such cases results in a delay and an
inconvenience to the railroad worker. Disclosure of the information as
proposed in this routine use would eliminate these problems for the
affected railroad workers.
The Railroad Retirement Board has determined that this proposed
routine use meets the compatibility requirement because it is a
necessary and proper use.
By authority of the Board.
Beatrice Ezerski,
Secretary to the Board.
RRB-20
Health Insurance and Supplementary Medical Insurance Enrollment and
Premium Payment System (Medicare)--RRB
* * * * *
* * * * *
Routine use ``n'' is revised to read as follows:
* * * * *
Pursuant to a request from an employer covered under the Railroad
Retirement Act or the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act or from an
insurance company acting as an agent of an employer, information
regarding the RRB's determination of Medicare entitlement, entitlement
data, and present address may be released to the requesting employer or
insurance company acting as its agent for the purposes of either
determining entitlement to and rates of supplemental benefits under
private employer welfare benefit plans or complying with requirements
of law covering the Medicare program.
* * * * *
RRB-21
Railroad Unemployment and Sickness Insurance Benefit System--RRB
* * * * *
* * * * *
A new paragraph ``ee'' is added to read as follows:
ee. Non-medical information relating to the determination of
sickness benefits may be disclosed to an insurance company
administering a medical insurance program for railroad workers for
purposes of determining entitlement to benefits under that program.
[FR Doc. 94-19576 Filed 8-10-94; 8:45 am]
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