After leading a bipartisan letter with 46 signers to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting an update on the implementation of the removing Social Security numbers from ID cards, Rep. Brat released this statement:
“Medicare cards that display the Social Security numbers of beneficiaries are putting seniors and disabled Americans at risk of identity theft. Americans should not have to risk their identity being stolen in order to access health care services. The risk that Medicare cards are stolen and misused because Social Security numbers are displayed cannot be understated, and I am committed to ensuring the security of every American’s identity.”
The Brat-led letter was sent to CMS on September 16, and asks for an update on the implementation of the Social Security Number Removal Initiative that was addressed in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015.
"It is in the best interest of beneficiaries, health care providers, and taxpayers nationwide that this initiative move forward as quickly and efficiently as possible," said Rep. Brat. "Americans have a right to privacy, and deserve the security and peace of mind that CMS should be providing."
Click
here to read the letter.
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