Medicare card & SSN - What can be done to prevent unauthorized SSN disclosure?

Question

Those of us on Medicare realize that the card displays our SSNs just like the Social Security card.

There was the case of the guy from LifeLock who published his, promising that his company would protect him. It didn't go well.

Lifelock CEOs Indentity Stolen 13 Times (Wired)

Therefore, we can't trust the preeminent SSN-protection company from exploitation of unauthorized disclosure of our SSNs.

Yet every doctor wants to see it. More importantly, so does the Emergency Room, which can happen without notice. We may not even be conscious in order to recite it from memory.

So what can be done to prevent unauthorized disclosure of the SSN brought about by carrying the card, like if my wallet gets lost or stolen?

Answer 1

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services along with the Social Security Administration have long warned against carrying the cards themselves.

So now, the CMS has begun the process of issuing new Medicare cards which utilize a different number that does not contain the participant's SSN.

New Medicare cards are coming

New Medicare cards

These cards promise to be safe to carry and do not carry the same risk as the previous cards did.

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