Tips To Medicare Beneficiaries On Avoiding Identity Theft

The Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services’ GeorgiaCares SMP program is providing tips to Medicare beneficiaries on protecting themselves against identity theft and Medicare fraud...

Beneficiaries should practice the following tips:

* Never use your Social Security or Medicare numbers as a form of ID.

* If your Social Security number is listed on your driver’s license, have it removed.

* Be cautious about giving out personal information over the phone.

* Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before discarding.

* If your Social Security or Medicare number appears on documents you receive in the mail, request that the number be blanked-out on further mailings.

* Check your credit report at least once a year. The law requires the major nationwide consumer reporting companies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - to give you a free copy of your credit report each year at your request. (Full text at emaxhealth.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

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Social Security and Identity Theft

Agency Sees Theft Risk for ID Card in Medicare
by Robert Pear

WASHINGTON — Social Security officials, concerned about the risk of identity theft, are calling for immediate action to remove Social Security numbers from the Medicare cards used by millions of Americans.

But Medicare officials have resisted the proposal, saying it would be costly and impractical.

In a new report, the inspector general of Social Security, Patrick P. O’Carroll Jr., says “immediate action is needed.”

“Displaying such information on Medicare cards unnecessarily places millions of individuals at risk for identity theft,” Mr. O’Carroll said. “We do not believe a federal agency should place more value on convenience than the security of its beneficiaries’ personal information.”

...Social Security cannot prohibit the Medicare agency from using Social Security numbers, although Congress could do so. Federal officials say that more than 40 million people who are 65 and older or disabled have Medicare cards with Social Security numbers on them...

...Byron Hollis, director of the antifraud department at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, said, “Medical identity theft is the fastest-growing form of health care fraud.”...

Ms. Frizzera, the Medicare official, said that issuing new Medicare cards would be “a huge undertaking.” The agency would need three years to plan such a move and eight more years to carry it out, she said.

Medicare officials estimate that it would cost $500 million to change their computer systems if they issued new ID numbers to beneficiaries. Doctors, hospitals and other health care providers use those numbers in filing claims with Medicare, which pays a billion claims a year...

“Many individuals carry their Medicare cards in their wallets or purses and could become victims of identity theft should dishonest individuals steal such items or lift their Medicare number from a beneficiary card or medical document,” Mr. O’Carroll said.

Other federal agencies are taking steps to remove Social Security numbers from identification cards. The Department of Veterans Affairs said that new identification cards issued to veterans generally did not display Social Security numbers.. (Full Text at NY Times)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

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