[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 24, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38447-38448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18586]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Privacy Act of 1974 as Amended; Computer Matching Program (Social 
Security Administration (SSA)/Internal Revenue Service (IRS)/Centers 
for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS)) Match Number 1048

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Notice of computer matching program.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as 
amended, this notice announces a computer matching program that SSA 
plans to conduct with the IRS and CMS. CMS is the new name of the 
Health Care Financing Administration effective July 1, 2001.

DATES: SSA will file a report of the subject matching program with the 
Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on 
Government Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives, and 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB). The matching program will be effective as indicated 
below.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this notice by either 
telefax to (410) 966-2935 or writing to the Acting Associate 
Commissioner, Office of Program Support, 2-Q-16 Operations Building, 
6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235. All comments received 
will be available for public inspection at this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Acting Associate Commissioner for 
Program Support as shown above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. General

    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 manner in which computer matching involving Federal 
agencies could be performed and adding certain protections for 
individuals 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 
individuals.
    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 the approval of the matching agreement by the Data 
Integrity Boards (DIB) of the participating federal agencies;
    (3) Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress 
and OMB;
    (4) Notify applicants and beneficiaries that their records are 
subject to matching; and
    (5) Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating, 
or denying an individual's benefits or payments.

[[Page 38448]]

B. SSA Computer Matches Subject to the Privacy Act

    We have taken action to ensure that all SSA computer matching 
programs comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act, as amended.

    Dated: July 17, 2001.
Glenna Donnelly,
Acting Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs.

    Notice of Computer Matching Program, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 
and Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with the Social 
Security Administration (SSA).

A. Participating Agencies

    SSA, IRS and CMS.

B. Purpose of the Matching Program

    The purpose of this matching program is to establish conditions 
under which IRS agrees to disclose return information relating to 
taxpayer identity information to SSA. SSA agrees to disclose IRS return 
information relating to employer identity, commingled with taxpayer 
identity information, to CMS.
    These disclosures will provide CMS with information for use in 
determining the extent to which any Medicare beneficiary is covered 
under any Group Health Plan (GHP).

C. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    Section 1862(b)(5) of the Social Security Act, (42 U.S.C. 
1395y(b)(5)), Section 6103(l)(12) of the Internal Revenue Code, (26 
U.S.C 6103(1)(12)), and the Privacy Act, (5 U.S.C. 552a) as amended.

D. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Matching 
Program

1. IRS

    IRS will disclose taxpayer identity information from the Individual 
Master File (IMF), Treas/IRS 24.030, published at 63 FR 69854 (12/17/
98). The IRS component responsible for the disclosure of the return 
information is the Office of Government Liaison and Disclosure.

2. SSA

    SSA will extract identifying information of Medicare beneficiaries 
from the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR), SSA/OSR 09-60-0090, published 
at 65 FR 46997 (08/01/00). SSA will validate the taxpayer SSN by 
matching information from the IMF against the Master Files of Social 
Security Number Holders, (NUMIDENT), SSA/OSR 09-60-0058, published at 
63 FR 14165 (03/24/98). SSA will extract employer identity information 
from the Earnings Recording and Self-Employment Income System, SSA/0SR 
09-60-0059, referred to as the Master Earnings File (MEF), published at 
62 FR 11939 (03/13/97). The SSA component responsible for the 
disclosure of the return information is the Office of Systems 
Requirements (OSR).

3. CMS

    a. CMS will utilize a database, System Number 09-70-4001, published 
at 57 FR 60818 (12/22/92), of the GHP information received from 
employers containing verified instances of employment and GHP coverage 
for Medicare beneficiaries and Medicare eligible spouses identified 
from the IMF and MEF extracts. CMS will match the GHP information 
against the Carrier Medicare Claims Records, System Number 09-70-0501, 
published at 59 FR 37243-02 (7/21/94), maintained at the CMS Common 
Working File (CWF), System Number 09-70-0526, published at 53 FR 52792 
(12/29/88).
    b. CMS will match GHP information against the Carrier Medicare 
Claims Records, System Number 09-70-0501, published at 59 FR 37243-02 
(7/21/94), maintained at the CMS Common Working File (CWF), System 
Number 09-70-0526, published at 53 FR 52792 (12/29/88), which is the 
repository data base for current MSP information. This file contains 
information or records needed to properly process and pay medical 
insurance benefits to, or on behalf of, entitled beneficiaries who have 
submitted claims for Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits (Medicare 
Part B). The file is accessed when a claim is submitted for payment.
    c. CMS will match GHP information against the Intermediary Claims 
Records, System Number 09-70-0503, published at 59 FR 37243-02 (7/21/
94), maintained at the CWF. This file contains information or records 
needed to properly process and pay Medicare benefits to, or on behalf 
of, eligible individuals. The file is accessed when a claim is 
submitted for payment.
    d. CMS will match GHP information against the National Claims 
History (NCH), which is contained in the National Claims History File, 
Privacy Act System, HHS, CMS, BDMS 09-70-0005 published at 59 FR 19181 
(4/22/94), maintained at CMS Data Center (HDC), located in Baltimore, 
Maryland. NCH contains records needed to facilitate obtaining Medicare 
utilization review data that can be used to study the operation and 
effectiveness of the Medicare program.
    e. The CMS component responsible for receipt and verification of 
the return information is the Office of Information Services (CMS/OIS).

E. Inclusive Dates of the Match

    The matching program shall become effective no sooner than 40 days 
after notice for the program is sent to Congress and OMB, or 30 days 
after publication of this notice in the Federal Register, whichever 
date is later. The matching program will continue for 18 months from 
the effective date and may be extended for an additional 12 months 
thereafter, if certain conditions are met.

[FR Doc. 01-18586 Filed 7-23-01; 8:45 am]
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