I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 781 

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 

FEBRUARY 15, 2013 

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

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

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 2013’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF INCLUSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY 

7 ACCOUNT NUMBERS ON MEDICARE CARDS. 

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

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


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

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

3 Care Act, 6 ems to the left; 

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

5 section 2(a)(1) of the Social Security Number Pro6 tection Act of 2010, and clause (xi) as clauses (xi) 

7 and (xii), respectively; and 

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

9 clause: 

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

11 in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, 

12 shall establish cost-effective procedures to ensure that a 

13 Social Security account number (or derivative thereof) is 

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

15 issued to an individual who is entitled to benefits under 

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

17 XVIII and that any other identifier displayed on such card 

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

19 derivative thereof).’’. 

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

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

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

23 Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish 

24 a cost-effective process that involves the least amount of 

25 disruption to Medicare beneficiaries and health care proVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:42 Feb 28, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H781.IH H781

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1 viders. The Secretary shall consider implementing a proc2 ess, similar to the process involving Railroad Retirement 

3 Board beneficiaries, under which a Medicare beneficiary 

4 identifier which is not a Social Security account number 

5 (or derivative thereof) is used external to the Department 

6 of Health and Human Services and is convertible over to 

7 a Social Security account number (or derivative thereof) 

8 for use internal to such Department and the Social Secu9 rity Administration. 

10 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

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

12 205(c)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

13 405(c)(2)(C)), as added by subsection (a)(3), shall 

14 apply with respect to Medicare cards issued on and 

15 after an effective date specified by the Secretary of 

16 Health and Human Services, but in no case shall 

17 such effective date be later than the date that is 3 

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

19 (2) REISSUANCE.—The Secretary— 

20 (A) shall provide for the reissuance of 

21 Medicare cards that comply with the require22 ments of such clause not later than 3 years 

23 after the effective date specified by the Sec24 retary under paragraph (1); and 


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1 (B) may permit an individual to apply for 

2 the reissuance of a Medicare card that complies 

3 with such requirements before the date of 

4 reissuance otherwise provided under subpara5 graph (A) in such exceptional circumstances as 

6 the Secretary may specify. 

Æ 


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