SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Identity 
Theft Prevention Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF INCLUSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY 
ACCOUNT NUMBERS ON MEDICARE CARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 205(c)(2)(C) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new clause: 
‘‘(x) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, 
shall establish cost-effective procedures to ensure that a 
social security account number (or any derivative thereof) 
is not displayed, coded, or embedded on the Medicare card 
issued to an individual who is entitled to benefits under 
part A of title XVIII or enrolled under part B of title 
XVIII and that any other identifier displayed on such card 
is easily identifiable as not being the social security ac-
count number (or a derivative thereof).’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to Medicare 
cards issued on and after an effective date specified 
by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, but 
in no case shall such effective date be later than the 
date that is 24 months after the date adequate fund-
ing is provided pursuant to subsection (d)(2).
(2) REISSUANCE.—Subject to subsection (d)(2), 
in the case of individuals who have been issued such 
cards before such date, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services— 
(A) shall provide for the reissuance for 
such individuals of such a card that complies 
with such amendment not later than 3 years 
after the effective date specified under para-
graph (1); and 
(B) may permit such individuals to apply 
for the reissuance of such a card that complies 
with such amendment before the date of 
reissuance otherwise provided under subpara-
graph (A) in such exceptional circumstances as 
the Secretary may specify. 
(c) OUTREACH PROGRAM.—Subject to subsection 
(d)(2), the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in 
consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, 
shall conduct an outreach program to Medicare bene-
ficiaries and providers about the new Medicare card pro-
vided under this section. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS AND LIMITATIONS ON EF-
FECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, acting through the Ad-
ministrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services and in consultation with the Commissioner 
of Social Security, shall submit to Congress a report 
that includes detailed options regarding the imple-
mentation of this section, including line-item esti-
mates of and justifications for the costs associated 
with such options and estimates of timeframes for 
each stage of implementation. In recommending 
such options, the Secretary shall take into consider-
ation, among other factors, cost-effectiveness and 
beneficiary outreach and education. 
(2) LIMITATION; 
MODIFICATION
OF
DEAD-
LINES.—With respect to the amendment made by 
subsection (a), and the requirements of subsections 
(b) and (c)— 
(A) such amendment and requirements 
shall not apply until adequate funding is appro-
priated pursuant to paragraph (3) to implement 
the provisions of this section, as determined by 
Congress; and 
(B) any deadlines otherwise established 
under this section for such amendment and re-
quirements are contingent upon the receipt of
adequate funding (as determined in subpara-
graph (A)) for such implementation. 
(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—In addition to any 
amounts made available to the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services for the Program 
Management Account of the Centers for Medi-
care & Medicaid Services for administrative ex-
penses and to the Commissioner of Social Secu-
rity for administrative expenses, and subject to 
subparagraph (B), taking into consideration the 
report submitted under paragraph (1), there is 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
section, including section 205(c)(2)(C) of the 
Social Security Act, as added by subsection (a), 
for each of the five fiscal years beginning after 
the date of submittal of the report under para-
graph (1).
(B) LIMITATION.—Such funds are not au-
thorized to be appropriated until after receipt of 
the report provided under paragraph (1). 
Passed the House of Representatives September 29, 
2008. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6600 
AN ACT 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to pro-
hibit the inclusion of Social Security account 
numbers on Medicare cards.