II 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6600 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 30 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 
Received 
AN ACT 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to prohibit 
the inclusion of Social Security account numbers on 
Medicare cards. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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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). 
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(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 
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