[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60234-60236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21526]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA-2022-0001]


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

[[Page 60235]]


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 United 
States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support 
Enforcement (OCSE). Under this matching program, OCSE will provide SSA 
with quarterly wage (QW) and unemployment insurance (UI) information 
located in the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) to allow SSA to 
determine eligibility of applicants for Extra Help (low-income subsidy 
assistance) under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and 
Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003. This agreement assists SSA in 
determining eligibility of applicants for Extra Help, redetermining 
eligibility of existing Extra Help beneficiaries during periodic 
screening, and administering the Extra Help program.

DATES: Submit comments on the proposed matching program on or before 
October 26, 2022. The matching program will be applicable on November 
26, 2022, or once a minimum of 30 days after publication of this notice 
has elapsed, whichever is later. The matching program will be in effect 
for a period of 18 months.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any one of three methods--
internet, fax, or mail. Do not submit the same comments multiple times 
or by more than one method. Regardless of which method you choose, 
please state that your comments refer to Docket No. SSA-2022-0001 so 
that we may associate your comments with the correct notice. CAUTION: 
You should be careful to include in your comments only information that 
you wish to make publicly available. We strongly urge you not to 
include in your comments any personal information, such as Social 
Security numbers or medical information.
    1. Internet: We strongly recommend that you submit your comments 
via the internet. Please visit the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Use the Search function to find docket number 
SSA-2022-0001 and then submit your comments. The system will issue you 
a tracking number to confirm your submission. You will not be able to 
view your comment immediately because we must post each submission 
manually. It may take up to a week for your comments to be viewable.
    2. Fax: Fax comments to (410) 966-0869.
    3. Mail: Matthew Ramsey, Executive Director, Office of Privacy and 
Disclosure, Office of the General Counsel, Social Security 
Administration, G-401 WHR, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 
21235-6401, or emailing [email protected]. Comments are also 
available for public viewing on the Federal eRulemaking portal at 
http://www.regulations.gov or in person, during regular business hours, 
by arranging with the contact person identified below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested parties may submit general 
questions about the matching program to Stephanie Kiley, Acting 
Division Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the 
General Counsel, Social Security Administration, G-401 WHR, 6401 
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, at telephone: (410) 966-
5855, or send an email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: None.

Matthew Ramsey,
Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the 
General Counsel.

    Participating Agencies: SSA and OCSE.
    Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: This matching 
agreement between OCSE and SSA is executed pursuant to the Social 
Security Act (Act) and the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. Subsection 
453(j)(4) of the Act provides that OCSE shall provide the Commissioner 
of SSA with all information in the NDNH. 42 U.S.C. 653(j)(4). SSA has 
authority to use data to determine entitlement to and eligibility for 
programs it administers pursuant to sections 453(j)(4), 1631(e)(1)(B) 
and (f), and 1860D-14(a)(3) of the Act. 42 U.S.C. 653(j)(4), 
1383(e)(1)(B) and (f), and 1395w-114(a)(3). Disclosures under this 
agreement shall be made in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3), and in 
compliance with the matching procedures in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o), (p), and 
(r).
    The Act provides that whether a Part D eligible individual residing 
in a state is eligible for subsidy, shall be determined under the state 
plan for medical assistance or by the Commissioner of Social Security. 
42 U.S.C. 1395w-114(a)(3)(B)(i).
    SSA has independent authority to collect this information regarding 
Medicare Parts A-D eligibility and premium calculations via sections 
202-205, 223, 226, 228, 1611, 1631, 1818, 1836, 1839, 1840, and 1860D-1 
to 1860D-15 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 402-405, 423, 426, 428, 1382, 1383, 
1395i-2, 1395o, 1395r, 1395s, and 1395w-101 to 1395w-115).
    Purpose(s): This computer matching agreement (agreement) governs a 
matching program between OCSE and SSA. OCSE will provide SSA with QW 
and UI information located in the NDNH to allow SSA to determine 
eligibility of applicants for Extra Help (low-income subsidy 
assistance) under the MMA of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-173) (Extra Help). This 
agreement also governs the use, treatment, and safeguarding of the 
information exchanged. OCSE is the ``source agency'' and SSA is the 
``recipient agency,'' as defined by the Privacy Act. 5 U.S.C. 
552a(a)(9) and (11).
    This agreement assists SSA in (1) determining eligibility of 
applicants for Extra Help; (2) redetermining eligibility of existing 
Extra Help beneficiaries during periodic screening; and (3) 
administering the Extra Help program.
    The Privacy Act provides that no record contained in a system of 
record (SOR) may be disclosed for use in a computer matching program, 
except pursuant to a written agreement containing specified provisions. 
5 U.S.C. 552a(o). SSA and OCSE are executing this agreement to comply 
with the Privacy Act and the regulations and guidance promulgated 
thereunder. OCSE and SSA have been parties to matching agreements and 
recertifications for this purpose since April 1, 2005.
    The SSA component responsible for this agreement and its contents 
is the Office of Privacy and Disclosure. The responsible component for 
OCSE is the Division of Federal Systems.
    This agreement is applicable to personnel, facilities, and 
information systems of SSA and OCSE involved in the processing and 
storage of NDNH information. Personnel are defined as employees, 
contractors, or agents of OCSE and SSA.
    Categories of Individuals: The individuals whose information is 
involved in this matching program are applicants and beneficiaries of 
Extra Help (low-income subsidy assistance).
    Categories of Records: SSA will provide OCSE the following data 
elements electronically in the finder file:

 Client's Own Social Security Number (COSSN)
 Name

    OCSE will provide electronically to SSA the following data elements 
from the NDNH QW file:

 QW record identifier


[[Page 60236]]


     For employees:

(1) Name (first, middle, last)
(2) SSN
(3) Verification request code
(4) Processed date
(5) Non-verifiable indicator
(6) Wage amount
(7) Reporting period

     For employers of individuals in the QW file of the NDNH:

(1) Name
(2) Employer identification number
(3) Address(es)
 Transmitter Agency Code
 Transmitter State Code
 State or Agency Name

    OCSE will provide electronically to SSA the following data elements 
from the NDNH UI file:

 UI record identifier
 Processed date
 SSN
 Verification request code
 Name (first, middle, last)
 Address
 UI benefit amount
 Reporting period
 Transmitter Agency Code
 Transmitter State Code
 State or Agency Name

    Data Elements SSA updates in the OCSE Financial Items (OCSEFITM) 
table if there is a match:

 QW record identifier

     For employees:

(1) Employee's SSN
(2) Employee's wage amount
(3) Reporting period

     For employers of individuals:

(1) Employer identification number
(2) Employer's name

     Unemployment Insurance identifier:

(1) Claimant SSN
(2) Unemployment insurance benefit amount
(3) Reporting period
(4) Transmitter State Name

    System(s) of Records: SSA's SOR is the Medicare Database (MDB) file 
SOR, No. 60-0321, last fully published at 71 Federal Register (FR) 
42159 (July 25, 2006), and amended at 72 FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), 
and 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018).
    OCSE will match SSA's information in the MDB against the QW and UI 
information furnished by state and federal agencies maintained in its 
SOR, ``OCSE National Directory of New Hires'' (NDNH), No. 09-80-0381, 
published in the Federal Register on April 2, 2015 at 80 FR 17906 and 
amended at 83 FR 6591 (February 14, 2018), and 85 FR 546 (January 6, 
2020).

[FR Doc. 2022-21526 Filed 10-3-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P