<p>The article was on MSN but I couldn’t cut and paste it correctly.</p>
<p>I never give it out. Do you?</p>
<p>If the receptionist points out that I haven’t filled it in, I look her in the eye and say “that’s because I’m not applying for credit.”</p>
<p>I really don’t want to give out my Social Security number if I don’t have to.</p>
<p>Asking other CCers – do you routinely fill it in?</p>
<p>No, we don’t. One of my MDs had an office manager who was quite insistent about having it, but I refused, though he was not happy with me.</p>
<p>Until about 8 years ago, our health insurance subscriber number was my husband’s Social Security number with a 3-letter prefix … not a good system and I’m glad they changed it.</p>
<p>When my first d was applying to colleges in 2000, every piece of paper was supposed to be headed by her name and SS#. (!) That was in the days before online applications.</p>
<p>^When I was applying a couple of months ago and just last month for financial aid they wanted my SS on every page…</p>
<p>Legally, you can request that a school use a different number to identify you within their records. But if you’re applying for financial aid, you’re going to have to give your social security number.</p>
<p>When I worked for an office, we said they didn’t have to give it although medicare cards are the SS # anyway.
I was surprised when my daughter applied for aid for a study abroad, they asked us to block of SS# on tax forms they asked for. That was the first time I’ve seen that.</p>
<p>Some offices get the Social Security number in the event they have to send you to collections. They can put it on your credit report if you don’t pay and it’s much harder without the SS number…</p>
<p>Not all insurance companies encrypt the SS numbers. It’s generally part of a dental insurance claim. If you don’t provide it (and your carrier requires it on its claim), you pay us and you file your own claim.</p>
<p>The smarter carriers like Aetna are getting away from using SS# as identifiers and are giving another number as an identifier.</p>
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<p>Perhaps this is mainly because of legislation in many (but not all) states that require that Social Security numbers not be used on various kinds of ID cards, including medical insurance ID cards. Prior to such legislation (in 2001 in California), all medical insurance companies other than Kaiser used Social Security numbers as their medical insurance ID numbers and printed them on the cards. They had the capability to assign other numbers, but it was the non-default option that was often a hassle to get done.</p>
<p>What it meant before then was that doctors’ offices outside of Kaiser asked for Social Security number because that was almost everyone’s medical insurance claim number.</p>
<p>I also do not provide it when visiting the doctor. If the receptionist insists, I tell that person that I will provide it only if there is a problem with my insurance company. So far, no doctor’s office has had such a problem, so I continue to withhold my ssn. </p>
<p>Now I need to teach my kids to also do this.</p>
<p>My wife’s ss# is carved on the frame of her 40 year old bicycle in a fairly visible spot. :D</p>
<p>I put my driver license number of stuff years ago and the police were very happy about it when they caught the thieves that robbed my place.</p>
<p>I still give my SS# to doctors if asked. I figured they want it if you don’t pay.</p>
<p>I did a reverse search yesterday for a phone number, to see who had it now (was trying to reach someone about some family medical issues, and that was not the number than came up on Google search). Up came a woman’s name, her ssn, driver’s license number, address, cell phone, home phone, you name it. Yikes! I checked my home land line number to see if that kind of thing might be out there for us, but not that I saw. This was a Maryland phone number.</p>
<p>They ask for it to send you to collections if you don’t pay, and trust me, plenty of people don’t pay their bills. Also, if there is any kind of issue with your id# the ss# also helps identify you to process claims. </p>
<p>But with lexus nexus you can just about find anybody, anywhere and find out anything you want about them including family members, their address and phone numbers and neighbors. </p>
<p>If you want to be freaked out about anything -be freaked out about lexus nexus.</p>
<p>I remind them that it is illegal in CA (and has been for several years) to tie a SSN to medical records. If they still insist I tell them that when they are ready to file my 1099 or other taxable event I will gladly provide such info. DH’s card is old enough to clearly state 'Not to be used for Identification Purposes".</p>