Article 16.2 lists the liaison agencies for both countries.  Claims for benefits from one country which are filed in the other country are forwarded to a liaison Agency in the other country.  In general the liaison Agency for a particular claim also is the Agency competent for processing the claim; however, see article 3 of the Administrative Agreement for an exception to this arrangement.  For a particular case, there is only one competent Agency in each country.  If a claim from the U.S. Social Security Administration is sent to the wrong FRG liaison Agency, that Agency is responsible under FRG law for forwarding it to the correct Agency.

In addition to their functions under the German sickness insurance program, the German statutory sickness insurance agencies referred to in article 1.5 are responsible for making coverage determinations and collecting contributions for the German old-age, survivors and disability insurance program.  Under Article 4.1 of the 1978 Administrative Agreement for Implementation of the U.S.-German Social Security Agreement, these agencies are also responsible for issuing the certifications of German social security coverage which serve as proof of exemption from U.S. coverage under the agreement.  For purposes of coordinating broad policy at the regional and national level, the German sickness insurance agencies, which number over 1,000, are grouped into regional and federal associations.  One of the principal associations at the federal level is what is now the Federal Association of General Local Sickness Insurance Agencies (AOK-BV) located in Berlin.

Article 16.2 of the original 1976 Agreement lists the liaison agencies for both countries.  The first Supplementary Agreement added item (5) to the list in article 16.2(a), designating  the AOK-BV as the German liaison Agency responsible for communicating with SSA on coverage policy matters.