[Med-privacy] Question about Social Security Numbers

[Ed Lawton]

Hello,

My names is Ed Lawton and I've been a subscriber to this list for 
several years.  I find it very helpful and informative.

On Sunday night, NBC Dateline had an excellent segment on a medical 
patient in Seattle, WA who became an identity theft victim while 
hospitalized because a lab technician compromised his SSN.  This 
hospital employee stole the number and used it to make many purchases 
before being caught.  The patient had to do his own investigation before 
getting a Seattle reporter to assist him.  The story is on the Dateline 
web site at the following URL:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/

As I read this story, there was a sidebar blog which mentioned that insurance companies no longer are putting SSNs on their cards which beneficiaries use when seeing physicians.  However, no mention was made of the new law or executive order that mandates this change in procedure.

I'm writing to ask if you or anyone on this list knows specifically where I can find this information.  It is important to me as I too became an Identity Theft victim recently and am still fighting the battles associated with it.  It too affected me due to my patient status and I too had to do much of my own investigative activity because of the lack of law enforcement interest.

I'd like very much to follow up on the change in procedures and if you can assist me, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks in advance.


Ed Lawton
Fairfax, VA
elawton@cox.net