No, but it's related to it. FICA is an acronym that stands for an act passed by the U.S. Congress back in 1935 at about the time Social Security was established. This Federal Insurance Contributions Act called for all working people in the U.S. to fund Social Security so that it could provide them with financial benefits later in life. The dollar amounts on your paycheck labeled as FICA are the payroll taxes we contribute to Social Security, and since 1965, Medicare.