Bill combats seniors' identity theft

When Rep. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills) held a town meeting by phone for seniors about a year ago, one woman worried how easy it would be to steal her identity. Her Social Security number was right on the Medicare card she carries around, she said.

It was a concern Israel heard many times as he held more meetings with seniors, and the congressman said making Social Security numbers so accessible "was to me a complete failure of common sense in Washington, D.C."

On Friday, he announced legislation that he said would take two simple steps in combating identity theft.

Medicare and Medicaid cards would no longer bear recipients' Social Security numbers. And the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, the agency that administers the program, would no longer use Social Security numbers as Medicare and Medicaid identification numbers.

Israel said the measure would mean 44 million Medicare and Medicaid recipients would be at less risk of having their identities stolen.

"It's a big deal," said William Stoner, associate state director of AARP New York, of removing the numbers. "We talk about not carrying your Social Security card around, but you don't think about [how the numbers are on] Medicare cards until it's pointed out."

Removing the numbers from the cards "really is a no brainer," Stoner said.

Citing the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Israel said identity theft is the fastest-growing type of fraud in the nation and costs consumers about $50 billion a year.