Notice2026-16137
Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
Primary source
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Published
August 7, 2026
Issuing agencies
Social Security Administration
Abstract
In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Under this matching program, OPM will provide SSA with civil service benefit and payment data. This disclosure will provide SSA with 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 151 (Friday, August 7, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 151 (Friday, August 7, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51214-51215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-16137]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No. SSA-2026-0232]
Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).
ACTION: Notice of a new matching program.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as
amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the Office
of Personnel Management (OPM). Under this matching program, OPM will
provide SSA with civil service benefit and payment data. This
disclosure will provide SSA with 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.
DATES: The deadline to submit comments on the proposed matching program
is September 8, 2026.
The matching program will be applicable on September 16, 2026, 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-2026-0232 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
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Use the Search function to find docket
number SSA-2026-0232 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 (833) 410-1631.
3. Mail: Matthew Ramsey, Head of Privacy and Disclosure Policy, Law
and Policy, Social Security Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, or emailing <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#44092530302c21336a16252937213d043737256a232b32"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b6fbd7c2c2ded3c198e4d7dbc5d3cff6c5c5d798d1d9c0">[email protected]</span></a>. Comments
are also available for public viewing on the Federal eRulemaking portal
at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> 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 Andrea Huseth, Division
Director, Privacy and Disclosure Policy, Law and Policy, Social
Security Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-
6401, at telephone: (410) 965-6868, or send an email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0948676d7b6c6827417c7a6c7d61497a7a68276e667f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="beffd0daccdbdf90f6cbcddbcad6fecdcddf90d9d1c8">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This matching notice covers the re-
establishment of a matching program that is set to expire between SSA
and OPM, which supports SSA's efficient administration of the low-
income subsidy assistance in the Medicare Part D prescription drug
benefit program.
Matthew Ramsey,
Head of Privacy and Disclosure Policy, Law and Policy.
Participating Agencies
SSA and OPM.
Authority for Conducting the Matching Program
The legal authority for the matching agreement between SSA and OPM
that this matching notice covers is section 1631(f) of the Social
Security Act (Act) (42 U.S.C. 1383(f)). Supplemental Security Income
recipients are automatically deemed eligible for Medicare Prescription
Drug Plan under section 1860D-14(a)(3)(B)(v)(I) of the Act (42 U.S.C.
1395w-114(a)(3)(B)(v)(I)). The legal authorities for SSA to conduct the
computer matching are sections 1144(a)(1) and (b)(1) and 1860D-14(a)(3)
of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-14(a)(1) and (b)(1) and 1395w-114(a)(3)).
Purpose(s)
The matching agreement sets forth the terms and conditions under
which OPM will provide SSA with civil service benefit and payment data.
This disclosure will provide SSA with information necessary to verify
an individual's self-certification of eligibility for Extra Help. It
will also
[[Page 51215]]
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 the matching
program are civil service annuitants, individuals who self-certify
their eligibility for the Extra Help program, and individuals who may
qualify for Extra Help.
Categories of Records
OPM's data file will consist of approximately 125,000 records of
updated payment information for new civil service annuitants and
annuitants whose civil service annuity has changed. SSA's comparison
file consists of approximately 111 million records from the Medicare
Database file.
OPM will provide SSA with civil service benefit and payment data
for individuals who apply for the Extra Help program. The file
includes:
a. Annuitant Name and Date of Birth,
b. Annuitant Social Security number,
c. Annuitant Civil Service Claim Number, and
d. Amount of current gross civil service benefits.
Systems of Records
OPM will provide SSA with electronic files containing civil service
benefit and payment data from its system of records (SOR) titled OPM/
Central--1, Civil Service Retirement and Insurance Records, published
at 73 FR 15013 (March 20, 2008) and 87 FR 5874 (February 2, 2022). SSA
will match OPM data with the SSA SOR 60-0321, Medicare Database File,
last fully published at 71 FR 42159 (July 25, 2006), and amended at 72
FR 69723 (December 10, 2007), 83 FR 54969 (November 1, 2018), and 90 FR
53413 (November 25, 2025).
[FR Doc. 2026-16137 Filed 8-6-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
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