The New York Times (4/21, A14, Pear, Subscription Publication) reports that the Medicare bill signed last week by President Obama will end the imprinting of Social Security numbers on Medicare cards. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), who pushed for the change, said, “The Social Security number is the key to identity theft, and thieves are having a field day with seniors’ Medicare cards.” Congress provided $320 million over four years to pay for the change. The Times adds that the inspector general of Social Security in 2008 called for immediate action to remove Social Security from Medicare cards, but HHS has “lagged behind other federal agencies” in removing the numbers from identification cards, the Government Accountability Office said.
Related Links:
— “New Cards for Medicare Recipients Will Omit Social Security Numbers,”Robert Pear, The New York Times, April 20, 2015.