Is it common to have to provide my SS# for claim? (Vanity)

[Java4Jay]

My daughter just called and said her dentist needs my SS# to file a claim. She is 25 and covered under my policy. This seemed very odd so I came to FR for answers.Feedback welcome, thanks.

[Hot Tabasco]

there is no reason to give a ss#.

IOW just say no.

Thanks for clarifying that, I'm sure lots of folks would have been confused by my statement............

[conservativegranny]

Here are some to get your started. Clark Howard did a segment on the topic and the worst places to give out your SS#. Medical offices were on the list.

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/consumer-issues-id-theft/10-worst-places-give-your-social-security-number/nFh2/

This article will lead you to some information on government statistics and private research into the crime.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/health/13patient.html?_r=0

http://www.ponemon.org/library/third-annual-survey-on-medical-identity-theft-ponemon-institute

http://www.nationwide.com/about-us/061312-few-aware-of-medical-id-theft.jsp

You can find more using a search engine. The law that I mentioned that exempts doctors, clinics, dentists is called the Red Flag Law or Red Flag Rule. The law does not consider these entities a “business”.

I did all of this research a couple of months ago and went armed with printouts to the doctor’s office and never had to use them. It was suggested that instead of dealing with the receptionist you ask to speak with the office manager or the physician themselves. Ask them why they want the information and what they intend to do with it and how they plan to protect your information.

I was told a number of bogus reasons by the receptionist. One told me she couldn’t enter an appointment without my SS# yet I made an appt. two weeks before that. I asked her what changed and she said they had a new computer system. The same one they had when I made my last appt. Then I was told by another receptionist that the insurance company needed the number to pay my claim. I called the insurance company and they said they did not. They already have my SS#. and do not print it on the card to protect clients from ID theft.

Soooo... The next story I was told is that because the injury I had was the result of a home accident they had to have it to fill in the form on the computer.

I just said “No” and suddenly they were able to leave that line blank.

A couple of weeks after I went to a place that does discount MRI’s and noticed that the form had a line for my SS# right at the top. I left it blank. No problem.

[Swordmaker]

My daughter is not my dependent, she is 25.

I know that, and YOU know that, but OBAMA, doesn't seem to know that!

[Swordmaker]

Daughter has her own card with her name and policy numbers on it

Hmmmm... strange. I suspect that dentist wants it for his own purposes or the software is antique.

[Swordmaker]

“There are a couple of studies out there if you do the research that say a great portion of ID theft is from medical and dental offices.”

I am unaware of these studies . Can you give me a URL? Thanks!

I am too... HIIPA laws are very explicit about patient privacy and are even more onerous than other places where data may be stolen. I think someone is making things up. I know that my clients' offices and my office are VERY careful of such data.

[Swordmaker]

Please note that Medical Identity theft is really not that common. . . the 2009 cited 250,000 cases out of over 250,000,000 insured in this country. But the individual crooks really DON’T GET THE stolen IDs from medical offices... they mostly get them from the same common sources that regular ID thefts come from! They get individual Medical ID cards come from stolen wallets, stolen IDs, and Spoofing IDs from people. They do not go into medical offices to steal IDs.

One of the primary ways wholesale Medical Insurance records have been stolen in the past was the theft of Insurance Company laptop computers that were not encrypted. There were several stolen in the past that had Patient names, SSNs, and Subscriber IDs on them, along with employer data and addresses.... thousands. Insurance company employees have left them in cabs, on subways, or had them snatched from their shoulders in their carrying cases. The company servers have been hacked... that is how ID data is stolen and then sold to individuals looking to get free medical care. Of course, it really isn’t necessary when many could just go to an emergency room and get it anyway.

[conservativegranny]

Cases are on the rise. I am very glad that I wasn’t one of those 250,000. People who work at medical offices are no more moral than people that do not. I do not trust the receptionist at the dentist office any more than I would trust a clerk at a convenience store. I don’t know them.

I think the main point not to be missed is that just because someone asks for your SS# does not mean that you should provide it. Now more than ever you need to limit access to that number as much as you are legally allowed to do. A medical clinic told me that anyone who worked at the clinic has access to my records. And I have found that to be true and had a big argument about that with an office manager a few years ago about it. Her answer was that it was “for my own good” and she couldn’t understand why I would object to anyone working at that clinic would have access to my information.

The bottom line is that at this time there is no good reason, unless you are using a government program to pay for medical care for these clinics to have this information and you are not legally required to give it to them. In that case why would you?

[steve86]

I had to provide mine in order to get the work financed by CareCredit (GE), which makes sense as for any kind of loan. P.S. I always pay these off before the 0% promotional period ends.