[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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