I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 380 

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to prohibit the inclusion of 

Social Security account numbers on Medicare cards. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 14, 2015 

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas (for himself and Mr. DOGGETT) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 

and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to prohibit 

the inclusion of Social Security account numbers on 

Medicare cards. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Identity 

5 Theft Prevention Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF INCLUSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY 

2 ACCOUNT NUMBERS ON MEDICARE CARDS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 205(c)(2)(C) of the Social 

4 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)) is amended— 

5 (1) by moving clause (x), as added by section 

6 1414(a)(2) of the Patient Protection and Affordable 

7 Care Act, 6 ems to the left; 

8 (2) by redesignating clause (x), as added by 

9 section 2(a)(1) of the Social Security Number Pro10 tection Act of 2010, and clause (xi) as clauses (xi) 

11 and (xii), respectively; and 

12 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

13 clause: 

14 ‘‘(xiii) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

15 in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, 

16 shall establish cost-effective procedures to ensure that a 

17 Social Security account number (or derivative thereof) is 

18 not displayed, coded, or embedded on the Medicare card 

19 issued to an individual who is entitled to benefits under 

20 part A of title XVIII or enrolled under part B of title 

21 XVIII and that any other identifier displayed on such card 

22 is not identifiable as a Social Security account number (or 

23 derivative thereof).’’. 

24 (b) IMPLEMENTATION.—In implementing clause (xiii) 

25 of section 205(c)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 

26 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)), as added by subsection (a)(3), the 


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1 Secretary of Health and Human Services shall do the fol2 lowing: 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—Establish a cost-effective 

4 process that involves the least amount of disruption 

5 to, as well as necessary assistance for, Medicare 

6 beneficiaries and health care providers, such as a 

7 process that provides such beneficiaries with access 

8 to assistance through a toll-free telephone number 

9 and provides outreach to providers. 

10 (2) CONSIDERATION OF MEDICARE BENE11 FICIARY IDENTIFIED.—Consider implementing a 

12 process, similar to the process involving Railroad Re13 tirement Board beneficiaries, under which a Medi14 care beneficiary identifier which is not a Social Secu15 rity account number (or derivative thereof) is used 

16 external to the Department of Health and Human 

17 Services and is convertible over to a Social Security 

18 account number (or derivative thereof) for use inter19 nal to such Department and the Social Security Ad20 ministration. 

21 (c) FUNDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—For purposes 

22 of implementing the provisions of and the amendments 

23 made by this section, the Secretary of Health and Human 

24 Services shall provide for the following transfers from the 

25 Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under section 


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1 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i) and 

2 from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust 

3 Fund established under section 1841 of such Act (42 

4 U.S.C. 1395t), in such proportions as the Secretary deter5 mines appropriate: 

6 (1) To the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

7 Program Management Account, transfers of the fol8 lowing amounts: 

9 (A) For fiscal year 2015, $65,000,000, to 

10 be made available through fiscal year 2018. 

11 (B) For each of fiscal years 2016 and 

12 2017, $53,000,000, to be made available 

13 through fiscal year 2018. 

14 (C) For fiscal year 2018, $48,000,000, to 

15 be made available until expended. 

16 (2) To the Social Security Administration Limi17 tation on Administration Account, transfers of the 

18 following amounts: 

19 (A) For fiscal year 2015, $27,000,000, to 

20 be made available through fiscal year 2018. 

21 (B) For each of fiscal years 2016 and 

22 2017, $22,000,000, to be made available 

23 through fiscal year 2018. 

24 (C) For fiscal year 2018, $27,000,000, to 

25 be made available until expended. 


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1 (3) To the Railroad Retirement Board Limita2 tion on Administration Account, the following 

3 amount: 

4 (A) For fiscal year 2015, $3,000,000, to 

5 be made available until expended. 

6 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Clause (xiii) of section 

8 205(c)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

9 405(c)(2)(C)), as added by subsection (a)(3), shall 

10 apply with respect to Medicare cards issued on and 

11 after an effective date specified by the Secretary of 

12 Health and Human Services, but in no case shall 

13 such effective date be later than the date that is four 

14 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

15 (2) REISSUANCE.—The Secretary shall provide 

16 for the reissuance of Medicare cards that comply 

17 with the requirements of such clause not later than 

18 four years after the effective date specified by the 

19 Secretary under paragraph (1). 

Æ 


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