[Med-privacy] health insurance & SSNs
pmarshall
pwm@comcast.net
Fri, 26 Mar 2004 15:12:19 -0800
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<P><BR><SPAN class=3Dheadline>Keep Your Social Security Number Safe</SPAN=
></P><FONT style=3D"COLOR: #000080" color=3D#000080 size=3D2>
<P><FONT style=3D"COLOR: #000000" color=3D#000000>Privacy advocates warn =
consumers to guard their Social Security Number carefully since it can be=
used by thieves to steal identities. Unfortunately, our Social Security =
Numbers are readily available and can often be found in our wallets and m=
ailboxes.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT style=3D"COLOR: #000000" color=3D#000000>75 percent of those who=
responded to a recent Consumer Union online survey reported that their S=
ocial Security Number appears on their health insurance cards, which they=
usually keep in their wallets. Some health insurance companies have stop=
ped using Social Security Numbers for identification purposes, but most s=
till use them. That leaves too many of us easy targets for identity theft=
=2E</FONT></P>
<P><FONT style=3D"COLOR: #000000" color=3D#000000><U><STRONG>ACT NOW</STR=
ONG></U> to prevent identity theft. Send a letter to the nation's largest=
health insurance companies: Blue Cross Blue Shield, CIGNA, and United He=
alth Care. Tell them to stop using Social Security Numbers on their healt=
h insurance cards. </FONT></P></FONT>
<P class=3DObjTitle></P>
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<LI>Complete the form on the left with your information.</LI>
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r own words, if you wish. </LI>
<LI>Click the "Send Your Message" button to send your letter to=
the following heads of Blue Cross, CIGNA and United Health Care:</LI></O=
L><ul>
<li>H. Edward Hanway</li><li>William W. McGuire, M.D.</li><li>Scott Serot=
a</li>
</ul>
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<label for=3D"subject"><span class=3D"Smaller">Subject:</span></label><br=
/>
<input type=3D"text" name=3D"subject" id=3D"subject" value=3D"Protect my =
social security number" size=3D"50" maxlength=3D"128" onfocus=3D"select()=
" class=3D"Advocacy" />
<p class=3D"AdvocacyNSFix">Dear <em>[Decision Maker],</em></p>
<p class=3D"AdvocacyNSFix"></p>
<label for=3D"new_msg"><span class=3D"Hint">Please personalize your messa=
ge</span></span></label><br />
<span class=3D"AdvocacyNSFix"><textarea cols=3D"45" rows=3D"30" name=3D"n=
ew_msg" id=3D"new_msg" wrap=3D"soft">I am writing because I am concerned =
about identity theft and want to protect financial privacy by reducing th=
e use of social security numbers on documents like health insurance cards=
or ID cards.
Your practice of printing Social Security numbers on health insurance car=
ds or on mailings sent to consumers puts consumers at a much higher risk =
of identity theft. If your customers' wallets or mail are lost or stolen,=
criminals can use the Social Security number to steal their assets and t=
heir credit.
Identity theft has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. A r=
eport released in September 2003 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) es=
timated that 10 million Americans had been the victims of identity theft =
in the last year alone.
Other health insurance companies have removed Social Security numbers fro=
m all identity cards and mailings. Notably, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan=
s, the largest health insurance carrier in the United States, has issued =
unique IDs for each customer and sent new cards with the new number to al=
l enrollees.
Protecting my financial privacy is an important issue for me. I urge you =
to change the way you identify your customers to a system based on unique=
IDs rather than Social Security numbers. I look forward to your response=
on this important issue.
</textarea></span>
<p class=3D"AdvocacyNSFix"></p>
<p class=3D"AdvocacyNSFix">Sincerely,</p>
<p class=3D"AdvocacyNSFix" style=3D"font-size: 8pt;"><em>[Your Name]</em>=
<br /> <em>[Your Address]</em><br /> <em>[City, State Zip]</em></p>
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