Medicare Privacy Protection (or Lack Thereof)
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
Our Federal government has expended an enormous (if unnecessarily complicated and hopelessly difficult) effort attempting to ensure the privacy of our medical records.
And yet …
On the front of every Medicare card (and a few holdout health plans), prominently displayed, is the patient’s Social Security Number. How reassuring.
Since the government is not taking steps to protect these patients, providers can. Patients can be taught a simple step to protect their identity; not carrying their actual Medicare card, but rather a photocopy with some of the digits blacked-out (although, naturally, they will need to provide those numbers at the first service). This can help protect them from pickpockets looking to steal their identities.
It would be a lovely trust-building step for your office to undertake in providing this service to patients. The copy will cost you pennies, but the trust built with patients is priceless.