In a Wall Street Journal Q&A about seniors protecting their identity Some readers made color copies of their Medicare card after eliminating the entire Social Security number. Others made copies after eliminating the last four digits.
For more tips on how to reduce your chances of identity theft, check out the website of Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (privacyrights.org). Look under “Fact Sheets” for Fact Sheet 17.
Here is one suggestion from that fact sheet that’s worth considering: “If you feel you must carry your health insurance or Medicare card with you at all times, try this. Photocopy the card and cut it down to wallet size. Then remove or cut out the last four digits of the [Social Security number]. Carry that with you rather than the actual card. But be sure to carry your original Medicare card with you the first time you visit your health-care provider. They are likely to want to make a photocopy of it for their files.”
Read more about this in the Wall Street Journal at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444327204577617712596855668.html?mod=rss_Retirement_Planning
William Wombacher, your Central Illinois Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) and Social Security Disability Specialist. I’ll help you! www..wombacherlaw.com
Serving Peoria, East Peoria, Peoria Heights, Pekin, Dunlap, Chillicothe, Morton, Washington, Metamora, Canton, Galesburg, Bloomington, Normal and surrounding cites and counties of Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Fulton and Knox Counties in Central Illinois.
