,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fab  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #ai1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,durbin 7for himself and ,mrs4     
,gillibrand7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill
  ,to require the ,secretary of ,health 
and ,human ,services to remove social   
security account numbers from ,medicare 
identification cards and communications 
provided to ,medicare beneficiaries in  
order to protect ,medicare beneficiaries
 from identity theft4  #a4 ,short title 
,this ,act may be cited as the ,social  
,security ,number ,protection ,act of   
#bjaa4  #b4 ,requiring the ,secretary of
 ,health and ,human ,services to        
prohibit the display of social security 
account numbers on ,medicare            
identification cards and communications 
provided to ,medicare beneficiaries  7a7
 ,in general ,not later than #c years   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and     

,human ,services shall establish and    
begin to implement procedures to        
eliminate the unnecessary collection1   
use1 and display of social security     
account numbers of ,medicare            
beneficiaries4  7b7 ,medicare cards and 
communications provided to beneficiaries
  7#a7 ,cards  7,a7 ,new cards ,not     
later than #c years after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services shall ensure that each newly  
issued ,medicare identification card    
meets the requirements described in     
subparagraph 7,c74  7,b7 ,replacement of
 existing cards ,not later than #e years
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and    
,human ,services shall ensure that all  
,medicare beneficiaries have been issued
 a ,medicare identification card that   
meets the requirements of subparagraph  
7,c74  7,c7 ,requirements ,the          
requirements described in this          
subparagraph are1 with respect to a     

,medicare identification card1 that the 
card does not display or electronically 
store 7in an unencrypted format7 a      
,medicare beneficiary's social security 
account number4  7#b7 ,communications   
provided to beneficiaries ,not later    
than #c years after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,health and ,human ,services shall   
prohibit the display of a ,medicare     
beneficiary's social security account   
number on written or electronic         
communication provided to the           
beneficiary unless the ,secretary       
determines that inclusion of social     
security account numbers on such        
communications is essential for the     
operation of the ,medicare program4  7c7
 ,medicare beneficiary defined ,in this 
section1 the term ,medicare beneficiary 
means an individual who is entitled to1 
or enrolled for1 benefits under part ,a 
of title ,,xviii of the ,social         
,security ,act or enrolled under part ,b
 of such title4  7d7 ,conforming        

reference in the ,social ,security ,act 
,section #bje7;c77#b77;,c7 of the       
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#dje7;c77#b77;,c77 is amended by adding 
at the end the following new clause3    
7xii7 ,for provisions relating to       
requiring the ,secretary of ,health and 
,human ,services to prohibit the display
 of social security account numbers on  
,medicare identification cards and      
communications provided to ,medicare    
beneficiaries1 see section #b of the    
,social ,security ,number ,protection   
,act of #bjaa4  4  7e7 ,authorization of
 appropriations ,there are authorized to
 be appropriated such sums as may be    
necessary to carry out this section4