II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1275 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to remove social 

security account numbers from Medicare identification cards and communications provided to Medicare beneficiaries in order to protect Medicare 

beneficiaries from identity theft. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 23, 2011 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. KOHL, and Mr. BINGAMAN) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to remove social security account numbers from Medicare 

identification cards and communications provided to 

Medicare beneficiaries in order to protect Medicare beneficiaries from identity theft. 

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 ‘‘Social Security Num5 ber Protection Act of 2011’’. 


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•S 1275 IS

1 SEC. 2. REQUIRING THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND 

2 HUMAN SERVICES TO PROHIBIT THE DIS3 PLAY OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUM4 BERS ON MEDICARE IDENTIFICATION CARDS 

5 AND COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDED TO MEDI6 CARE BENEFICIARIES. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 

9 and Human Services shall establish and begin to imple10 ment procedures to eliminate the unnecessary collection, 

11 use, and display of social security account numbers of 

12 Medicare beneficiaries. 

13 (b) MEDICARE CARDS AND COMMUNICATIONS PRO14 VIDED TO BENEFICIARIES.— 

15 (1) CARDS.— 

16 (A) NEW CARDS.—Not later than 3 years 

17 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

18 Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 

19 ensure that each newly issued Medicare identi20 fication card meets the requirements described 

21 in subparagraph (C). 

22 (B) REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING CARDS.— 

23 Not later than 5 years after the date of the en24 actment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 

25 and Human Services shall ensure that all Medi26 care beneficiaries have been issued a Medicare 


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•S 1275 IS

1 identification card that meets the requirements 

2 of subparagraph (C). 

3 (C) REQUIREMENTS.—The requirements 

4 described in this subparagraph are, with respect 

5 to a Medicare identification card, that the card 

6 does not display or electronically store (in an 

7 unencrypted format) a Medicare beneficiary’s 

8 social security account number. 

9 (2) COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDED TO BENE10 FICIARIES.—Not later than 3 years after the date of 

11 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 

12 and Human Services shall prohibit the display of a 

13 Medicare beneficiary’s social security account num14 ber on written or electronic communication provided 

15 to the beneficiary unless the Secretary determines 

16 that inclusion of social security account numbers on 

17 such communications is essential for the operation of 

18 the Medicare program. 

19 (c) MEDICARE BENEFICIARY DEFINED.—In this sec20 tion, the term ‘‘Medicare beneficiary’’ means an individual 

21 who is entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A 

22 of title XVIII of the Social Security Act or enrolled under 

23 part B of such title. 

24 (d) CONFORMING REFERENCE IN THE SOCIAL SECU25 RITY ACT.—Section 205(c)(2)(C) of the Social Security 


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•S 1275 IS

1 Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)) is amended by adding at the 

2 end the following new clause: 

3 ‘‘(xii) For provisions relating to requiring the Sec4 retary of Health and Human Services to prohibit the dis5 play of social security account numbers on Medicare iden6 tification cards and communications provided to Medicare 

7 beneficiaries, see section 2 of the Social Security Number 

8 Protection Act of 2011.’’. 

9 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

10 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

11 necessary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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