Name:	CRD -	Reply
Subject:	Medicare Beneficiaries
Date:	2/22/2018 1:02:46 PM

It has only taken about 10-15 years after the first cases of identity theft and fraud were reported for our government to realize that SSN's listed on Medicare ID cards MAY be a bad idea.  New cards will be issued in April with the SSN replaced by a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI).  Who is willing to bet that the MBI's will also be a fiasco for patients and providers?  This should be an embarassment for every elected fed gov't official over the past 15 years that has let this slip past them while in office.

Name:	lucky67 -	Reply
Subject:	Medicare Beneficiaries
Date:	2/22/2018 1:06:40 PM (updated 2/22/2018 1:07:12 PM)

no accountability so why should they care--95% would never survive in the private sector

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Medicare Beneficiaries
Date:	2/22/2018 1:28:49 PM

Since your Medicare number is your Social Security number, if you lose your wallet with the card someone then has your drivers license, birthdate, and Socal Security number. This should have been implemented when Medicare first became active. It may well get screwed up during implementation but it is worth a try. 

I just hope all the medical facilities have programmed to accept the new number.

Do you have a better suggestion other than do nothing?

Name:	CRD -	Reply
Subject:	Medicare Beneficiaries
Date:	2/22/2018 2:39:40 PM

Since Medicare Beneficiaries have, in essense, been victims of no oversight of their private information by the Fed Gov't  for over a decade now, why not offer free lifetime identity theft protection?  The Dark Web surely has been aware of this for a long time now.  Plenty of sources of funding available.

This is simply a travesty, yet another example of why government should be out of the healthcare business.

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Medicare Beneficiaries
Date:	2/22/2018 4:16:36 PM

Without Medicare, most older folks would not be able to afford private coverage. Private companies handle the claims I have not read of alot of complaints. Insurance companies would never be able to negotiate the low fees that Medicare pays to providers.

What would you suggest that would be cost effective for seniors in lieu of Medicare?

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Medicare Beneficiaries
Date:	2/22/2018 10:20:19 PM

I am a former Fed and I had not only my SSN, home address and phone compromished, but every single thing in my background compromised because I had a high security clearance.  And I got 18 months of free identity protection.  You probably don't remember when your SSN was your driver's license number.  I don't share my SSN with anyone - even on the Drs. forms.  Yes, Medicare should have figured it out a long time ago, but until the ability to hack data bases was widespread, there really wasn't any problem.  I can remember when having your SSN printed on your check was popular - particulary if you were in the military and routinely cashed checks at military facilities.