Remove Seniors' Social Security Numbers from Medicare Cards to Prevent Identity Theft

44 million Americans are carrying in their wallet or purse something that makes them more vulnerable to identity theft: their Medicare card. Apart from the Social Security card itself, the Medicare card is the most frequently issued government document containing a person's Social Security number and displaying such information on Medicare cards unnecessarily places millions of individuals at-risk for identity theft.

In 2008, the House of Representatives passed without objection Rep. Lloyd Doggett's bill, the Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act, which requires Medicare to take steps that private companies and other government agencies have already taken to protect the identities of seniors by removing the display of Social Security numbers on Medicare cards. Unfortunately, this important step to protect America's seniors has not been taken.