[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 380 Introduced in House (IH)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 380
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to prohibit the inclusion
of Social Security account numbers on Medicare cards.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 14, 2015
Mr. Sam Johnson of Texas (for himself and Mr. Doggett) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means,
and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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 Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Identity Theft Prevention
Act of 2015''.
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--
(1) by moving clause (x), as added by section 1414(a)(2) of
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 6 ems to the
left;
(2) by redesignating clause (x), as added by section
2(a)(1) of the Social Security Number Protection Act of 2010,
and clause (xi) as clauses (xi) and (xii), respectively; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(xiii) 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 (xiii) of section
205(c)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)), as
added by subsection (a)(3), 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) Funding for Implementation.--For purposes of implementing the
provisions of and the amendments made by this section, the Secretary of
Health and Human Services shall provide for the following transfers
from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i) and from the Federal
Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund established under section
1841 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395t), in such proportions as the
Secretary determines appropriate:
(1) To the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Program
Management Account, transfers of the following amounts:
(A) For fiscal year 2015, $65,000,000, to be made
available through fiscal year 2018.
(B) For each of fiscal years 2016 and 2017,
$53,000,000, to be made available through fiscal year
2018.
(C) For fiscal year 2018, $48,000,000, to be made
available until expended.
(2) To the Social Security Administration Limitation on
Administration Account, transfers of the following amounts:
(A) For fiscal year 2015, $27,000,000, to be made
available through fiscal year 2018.
(B) For each of fiscal years 2016 and 2017,
$22,000,000, to be made available through fiscal year
2018.
(C) For fiscal year 2018, $27,000,000, to be made
available until expended.
(3) To the Railroad Retirement Board Limitation on
Administration Account, the following amount:
(A) For fiscal year 2015, $3,000,000, to be made
available until expended.
(d) Effective Date.--
(1) In general.--Clause (xiii) of section 205(c)(2)(C) of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)), as added by
subsection (a)(3), 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 four years
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Reissuance.--The Secretary shall provide for the
reissuance of Medicare cards that comply with the requirements
of such clause not later than four years after the effective
date specified by the Secretary under paragraph (1).
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