Title II
· Name of project.
Title II
· Unique project identifier.
016-00-SSA/DCS-M-001/996
· Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) Contact.
Associate Commissioner
Office of Retirement and Survivors Insurance Systems
Deputy Commissioner of Systems
Social Security Administration
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
· System background description or purpose.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Title II system is a certified and accredited Major Application consisting of sub-systems and applications associated with receiving, adjudicating, and processing applications for Title II Social Security benefits. This system allows us to determine entitlement and eligibility, establish records of entitlement, and connect with our other payment systems. The system allows us to collect data and process approximately 4.1 million claims per year. The system receives and processes transactions entered by field locations, Program Service Centers (PSCs), Teleservice Centers, and data exchange files with external agencies, as well as allowing beneficiaries and claimants to update their system account directly via the Internet.
· Describe the information we collect, why we collect the information, how we use the information, and with whom we share the information.
When an individual applies for and becomes eligible for Retirement, Survivor, or Disability Insurance (RSDI) payments or Medicare benefits, SSA sets up and maintains a system of records containing a variety of personal and sensitive information. These records include specific data such as benefit and eligibility status, birth date, address, bank account number, disabilities, history of payments made, and other related sensitive information. We collect this information to ensure individuals receive accurate benefits and maintain this information in accordance with approved records schedules.
We disclose information only as necessary to pay benefits to claimants, make payments to entities contracted by SSA to provide services to Title II and Title XVIII disabled beneficiaries, or as authorized by Federal law. Furthermore, we may also share information with agencies and organizations with whom we have standing agreements for data sharing including computer matching purposes.
The actions in Title II are divided into components: Online (Internet Applications), Batch, Processing, and Servicing. The component is then divided into major subsystems, such as below:
Component |
Major Subsystem |
Summary of Subsystem Function |
Online (Internet Applications) |
T2 Internet Applications |
T2 Internet Applications store major functions such as i1020 Medicare, which allows users to apply online for Medicare Part D subsidies; iClaim, which allows for electronically filing retirement, Medicare, spouse or disability benefits; and My Social Security, a suite of tools for users to access and change/modify their Social Security accounts online. |
Telephone Applications |
Applications under this subsystem allow beneficiaries to request their proof of income letter (iBEVE) and request replacement forms using telephone services. |
|
Customer Engagement Tools |
Customer Engagement Tools are multi-channel applications that applicants and beneficiaries can use to contact SSA, including Dynamic Help, Click to Callback, Message Center and Click to Chat. |
|
Batch |
T2 Batch |
The T2 Batch subsystem covers many subprocesses that vary in purpose, from annotating the Master Beneficiary Record or Systems Interface Records; to computing benefit changes. |
Title II Redesign Infrastructure (T2 Infrastructure) |
The T2 Infrastructure subsystem processes initial claims and post-entitlement Title II actions, as well as calculates transactions, including check debits, credits, and payments/overpayments in coordination with the Department of Treasury. |
|
T2 Data Exchange |
The applications under T2 Data Exchange provide data to institutions, agencies and organizations with whom we have sharing agreements and matching programs. |
|
Payment Center (PC) Workloads |
PC Workloads serves as a tracking, routing, and updating tool for Payment Centers’ records. |
|
Master Beneficiary Rate (MBR) Selections Group |
MBR Selections Group applications update specific data based on cost of living calculations, adjustments, and runs requests for special formats. |
|
MBR Update Group |
This subsystem contains all Title II payment history to beneficiaries since 1/1/1984, maintains existing data, checks and validates claim and post-entitlement actions, and transmits records to the Department of Treasury. |
|
Processing |
Processing Systems |
Processing systems provide access, correction and replacement of forms; T2 payments in special situations and critical cases; as well as customer service records; earnings and employment data; claims information; prisoner information, and data for the Railroad Board. |
Services |
Medicare |
Applications within this subsystem support Medicare enrollments, queries, application data, subsidy awards and calculations. |
Notices |
Processes within Notices send letters to beneficiaries and applicants and notify SSA employees about the change in status of beneficiaries. |
|
Claims |
The Claims subsystem collects information and data both before and after Social Security benefits are administered and are used to provide updates and adjustments to records as necessary. |
|
Accounting |
Processes within this subsystem calculate actuarial and statistical data used in an annual report to Congress; support various processes to beneficiaries living abroad; and serve as a central collection of financial assistance programs as mandated by statute. |
· Describe the administrative and technological controls we have in place to secure the information we collect.
We have conducted authentication and security risk analyses on the Title II system boundary. The latter includes an evaluation of security and audit controls proven effective in protecting the information collected, stored, processed, and transmitted by our information systems. These include technical, management, and operational controls that permit access to those users who have an official “need to know.” Audit mechanisms are in place to record sensitive transactions as an additional measure to protect information from unauthorized disclosure or modification.
In addition, registered users have to go through initial ID verification and authentication (at each login) in order to access their accounts.
We protect the information in the Title II system by requiring authorized employees to use a unique Personal Identification Number to access information in the system. We store computerized records in secure areas that are accessible to those employees who require the information to perform their official duties. We implemented appropriate configuration settings in Title II sub-systems to insure agency password requirements are technically enforced. All of our employees who have access to our information systems that maintain personal information must sign a sanction document annually that acknowledges penalties for unauthorized access to, or disclosure of, such information. Finally, we perform vulnerability scan reports against Title II sub-system assets to ensure all configuration settings are functional.
· Describe the impact on individuals’ privacy rights.
We collect information only where we have specific legal authority to do so in order to administer our responsibilities under the Social Security Act. When we collect personal information from individuals, we advise them of our legal authority for requesting the information, the purposes for which we will use and disclose the information, and the consequences of their not providing any or all of the requested information. The individuals can then make informed decisions as to whether or not they should provide the information.
· Do we afford individuals an opportunity to consent to only particular uses of the information?
When we collect information from individuals, we advise them of the purposes for which we will use the information. We further advise them that we will disclose this information without their prior written consent only when we have specific legal authority to do so (e.g., the Privacy Act).
· Does the collection of this information require a new system of records under the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a) or an alteration to an existing system of records?
We collect, use, and maintain information for business purposes related to other Privacy Act systems of records, as explained below. For example:
o Benefit payment data and Medicare enrollment data in the Title II System is governed by existing systems of records, such as the Master Beneficiary Record (60-0090) and the Medicare Database (60-0321);
o Claims file information is governed by the Claims Folders Systems (60-0089);
o Accounting information is governed by the Recovery of Overpayments, Accounting and Reporting (60-0094);
o Eligibility and applications for the Supplemental Security Income program is governed by Supplemental Security Income Record and Special Veterans Benefits (60-0103);
o Representative payee information is used in multiple Title II systems and is governed by the Master Representative Payee File (60-0222);
o Prisoner information is governed by the Prisoner Update Processing System (PUPS) (60-0269); and
o Information used to administer and maintain our e-Authentication infrastructure (internet-based processes) is covered by the Central Repository of Electronic Authentication Data Master File (60-0373).
Furthermore, we plan to maintain our Customer Engagement Tools records in a new system of records entitled the Customer Engagement Tools (CET) Record System
(60-0383), which is scheduled to be published summer 2017.
PIA CONDUCTED BY PRIVACY OFFICER, SSA:
7/12/2017
_____________________________________ ________________________
Mary Ann Zimmerman DATE
Acting Executive Director
Office of Privacy and Disclosure
PIA REVIEWED BY SENIOR AGENCY PRIVACY OFFICIAL, SSA:
/signed/ 7/20/2017
____________________________________ _________________________
Asheesh Agarwal DATE
General Counsel
Senior Agency Official for Privacy