In an attempt to combat identity theft and fraud, President Barack Obama has signed a bill providing $320 million to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare beneficiary identification cards, GovInfoSecurity reports. The move echoes calls made by the Government Accountability Office during the course of the last few years. A provision within the bill instructs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to “establish cost-effective procedures to ensure that Social Security numbers, or derivatives, are not displayed, coded or embedded in Medicare cards issued to individuals entitled to (Medicare) benefits.” Davis Wright Tremaine Partner Adam Greene said the move “is long overdue and much needed.”
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