Proposed bill guards against identity theft
HIPAA Weekly Advisor, November 28, 2005
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A new bill would eliminate the use of Social Security numbers as patient identifiers and remove them from Medicare cards and documents, replacing them with another form of identification.
The measure was introduced recently as an amendment to an appropriations bill by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and passed unanimously.
"A Social Security number is a key for an identity thief, who can use it to open a new bank account or get a new credit card. But the federal government continues to print Social Security numbers on Medicare cards, leaving 40 million seniors with their Social Security numbers in plain sight. It is time for the federal government to step up in the fight against identity theft," Durbin said in a press release.
Twelve states already restrict the use of Social Security numbers, including Illinois, where private insurers are prohibited from using Social Security numbers as patient identifiers. A bill similar to Durbin's was recently approved in the House.
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