Actually, this is a way to track taxes on medical devices and whether they have been collected.
Oh yeah, that 3% tax on medical devices in Obamacare.
And did you catch this in the article:
"The codes will be stored in a publicly accessible database to help regulators, doctors and companies monitor safety issues with devices."
I see a great opportunity for blackmailing Democrats. Of course, they'll beat us to the punch. "Mr. so-and-so sports a penile implant, according to an unnamed source...Our reporters have confirmed..." (-future AP story)
So much for the right of privacy.