Title: To amend title II of the Social Security Act to prohibit inclusion of Social Security account numbers on Medicare cards, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services to establish cost-effective procedures for ensuring that Social Security numbers are excluded from Medicare cards.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2990 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2990

 To amend title II of the Social Security Act to prohibit inclusion of 
   Social Security account numbers on Medicare cards, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 21, 2017

 Mr. Richmond 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 inclusion of 
   Social Security account numbers on Medicare cards, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. 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 adding at the end the following 
new clause:
                            ``(xiv) 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 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 not identifiable as a Social Security 
                        account number (or derivative thereof).''.
    (b) Implementation.--In implementing clause (xiv) of section 
205(c)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)), as 
added by subsection (a), the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall do the following:
            (1) In general.--Establish a cost-effective process that 
        involves the least amount of disruption to, as well as 
        necessary assistance for, Medicare beneficiaries and health 
        care providers, such as a process that provides such 
        beneficiaries with access to assistance through a toll-free 
        telephone number and provides outreach to providers.
            (2) Consideration of medicare beneficiary identified.--
        Consider implementing a process, similar to the process 
        involving Railroad Retirement Board beneficiaries, under which 
        a Medicare beneficiary identifier which is not a Social 
        Security account number (or derivative thereof) is used 
        external to the Department of Health and Human Services and is 
        convertible over to a Social Security account number (or 
        derivative thereof) for use internal to such Department and the 
        Social Security Administration.
    (c) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Clause (xiv) of section 205(c)(2)(C) of 
        the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)), as added 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 January 1, 2018.
            (2) Reissuance.--The Secretary shall provide for the 
        reissuance of Medicare cards that comply with the requirements 
        of such clause not later than January 1, 2019.
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