[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 171 (Friday, September 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 53240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22461]


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RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD


Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988; Notice of 
RRB Records Used in Computer Matching Programs

AGENCY: Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

ACTION: Notice of Records Used in Computer Matching Programs. 
Notification to individuals who are receiving or have received benefits 
under the Railroad Retirement Act.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection 
Act of 1988, the RRB is issuing a public notice of its use and intent 
to use, in ongoing computer matching programs, certain information 
obtained from the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).
    The purpose of this notice is to advise individuals applying for or 
receiving benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act of the use made by 
the RRB of this information obtained from HCFA by means of a computer 
match.

DATES: Comments should be received on or before October 2, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Beatrice Ezerski, Secretary to the Board, 
Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 
60611-2092.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Verplaetse, Office of Programs, 
Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago Illinois 
60611-2092, telephone number (312) 751-3381.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under certain circumstances, the Computer 
Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100-503, requires 
a Federal agency participating in a computer matching program to 
publish a notice in the Federal Register regarding the establishment of 
that matching program. Such a notice must include information in the 
following first five categories:
    Name of Participating Agencies: The Railroad Retirement Board and 
the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).
    Purpose of the Match: To identify RRB annuitants who are 66 or over 
and who have not had any Medicare utilization during the past calendar 
year. The general purposes of the match are (1) to verify that these 
RRB annuitants are still alive and if alive, to determine whether the 
RRB should appoint a representative payee for them; (2) to identify 
instances when payments are being made to persons who because they are 
deceased are no longer entitled to receive them; (3) to recover any 
payments erroneously made; and (4) to identify instances of fraud, and 
where established and warranted, to initiate prosecution.
    Authority for Conducting the Match: 45 U.S.C. 231f(b)(7). This 
section requires that the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
provide information pertinent to the administration of the Railroad 
Retirement Act. The death of an annuitant under that Act is a 
terminating event.
    Categories of Records and Individuals Covered: All annuitants under 
the Railroad Retirement Act who are age 66 or over and who have had no 
Medicare utilization during the previous calendar year. The RRB records 
used in this matching program are covered under Privacy Act system of 
records, RRB-22, Railroad Retirement, Survivor, and Pensioner Benefit 
System. The HCFA records used in this matching program are covered 
under Privacy Act system of records HHS/HCFA/BPO 09-70-0526, Common 
Working File.
    Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program: The life of this agreement 
is 18 months; the match will be conducted no more than three times 
during this period.
    Procedure: HCFA will furnish the RRB with a computer tape of 
annuitants under the Railroad Retirement Act who, according to HCFA 
records, are age 66 or older and have had no Medicare utilization 
during the previous calendar year. After excluding certain categories 
of individuals for whom no follow-up action will be taken, the RRB will 
contact the remaining identified individuals to determine whether they 
are still alive and if so to determine whether the RRB needs to appoint 
a representative payee to ensure that the benefits to which they are 
entitled are properly expended on their behalf. If the RRB establishes 
that an individual so identified in the match is deceased it will 
terminate the annuity, and if there are any benefits that were 
improperly paid, it will take action to recover them. In addition, if 
there is any indication of fraud, the RRB will evaluate whether 
prosecution should be initiated against the person or persons who acted 
fraudulently. No action will be taken with respect to the individuals 
excluded from the monitoring program.
    The public information collection represented by the follow-up 
action for the individuals identified by the matching program was 
previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB 3220-
0178).
    Other information:; The notice we are giving here is in addition to 
any individual notice.
    A copy of this notice has been or will be furnished to both Houses 
of Congress and the Office of Management and Budget.

    Dated: August 24, 2000.

    By Authority of the Board,
Beatrice Ezerski,
Secretary to the Board.
[FR Doc. 00-22461 Filed 8-31-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-M