DEACONESS
by Robert A. Kroboth www.citizengadfly.com
Please print and distribute copies of
this publication and put this link on your web site.
DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER
Identity theft
is prevalent. The combination of Social
Security number and Driver license number is dangerous and extremely foolish to
give out.
I was scheduled
for surgery at Deaconess Medical Center at Spokane, Washington for 2011 January
3. Just before surgery, the medical
center demanded my Driver license number.
When I refused, she said it was required by federal law regarding anyone
being admitted to a hospital. I would
like a copy of that law. They already
had my Social Security number from my Medicare card.
She did not say
that any other form of identification was acceptable. Also, I did not bring my wallet, only enough cash to get to the
hospital and back home.
I previously
registered at admission on 2010 December 30.
No request for Driver license number was made then. If it had been, I would have refused then,
cancelled the surgery and not gotten the blood tests and X‑rays, which I
have refused to pay for.
Deaconess
Medical Center has since mailed me a letter and 4 pages of “Red Flag”
rules. The letter did not state what
“Red Flag” rule, if any, that I triggered.
There was nothing in the 4 pages stating that a Driver
license number was required by federal law regarding anyone being admitted to a
hospital. In truth and in fact, there
is no federal law requiring a Driver license number regarding anyone being
admitted to a hospital. There are no
laws requiring the recording, photocopying, scanning, etc., of picture and non‑picture
identification.
Deaconess
Medical Center did not have a posting at the front desk stating that a Driver
license number is required regarding anyone being admitted to their Medical
Center.
Even though
they admittedly knew of the requirement, Inland Cardiology Associates did not
have a posting at their front desk stating that a Driver license number is
required regarding anyone being admitted to Deaconess Medical Center.
When I pre‑registered
at Deaconess Medical Center they did not say that I would have to show
identification at the time I was admitted for surgery.
Demanding a Driver license number just before surgery without
any prior notice is both intimidation and a civil rights violation, and should
be prosecuted by Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna. So far, he has refused.
United States
Department of Veterans’ Affairs medical identification cards do not have Social
Security numbers, but instead have a barcode and a picture of the
individual. Medicare cards should be
the same, not using Social Security numbers.
The
United States Congress, Washington State Legislature and every other
state assembly/legislature should pass specific laws restricting the demand for
a Social Security number or Driver license number and prohibit the recording,
photocopying, scanning, etc., of picture and non‑picture
identification. It is not only a matter
of privacy, it will prevent identity theft.
At the present time, government is making identity theft easy.
The United States Department of Justice has ruled that
anyone asking/demanding to see a Driver license for identification must have
signs posted to that effect; and with regard to seeing picture identification
when voting at polls, the picture must be on voter registration card. Obviously, this ruling would imply the same
for Medicare cards.
“THE THEFT OR IMPROPER REMOVAL OF PATIENT DATA HAS BEEN A
REPEATED PROBLEM AT HOSPITALS OVER THE
PAST FEW YEARS. THERE HAVE BEEN MAJOR
INCIDENTS AT HOSPITALS IN BALTIMORE, MINNEAPOLIS AND THE VETERANS
ADMINISTRATION; AND IN FEBRUARY, THE HEALTH AND HOSPITALS CORP. IN NEW YORK
CITY NOTIFIED 1.7 MILLION PATIENTS, STAFF AND VENDORS AT JACOBI MEDICAL
CENTER IN THE BRONX THAT THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION WAS ON ELECTRONIC FILES
STOLEN FROM THE HOSPITAL.” Hartford Courant, April 5, 2011
“BEWARE: SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
AVAILABLE ONLINE VIA INDEXED TAX DOCUMENTS — TO CLARIFY, THESE ARE TAX DOCUMENTS, AS THEY HAVE BEEN,
WILL BE SUBMITTED TO STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: NAMES, ADDRESSES, INCOME,
PHONE NUMBERS, CREDIT CARD NUMBERS (STORED FROM E‑FILING) AND, WORST OF
ALL, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS. THE
LATTER IS THE MOST DETRIMENTAL OF ALL.
NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL FILING THEIR TAXES HAVING THEIR
IDENTITY POTENTIALLY STOLEN, BUT BECAUSE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE CHILDREN THAT
THEY USE FOR TAX CREDITS.
“AS ANY PARENT KNOWS, YOU MUST INCLUDE CERTAIN
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN WHEN USING THEM FOR TAX BREAKS, NAMELY, THEIR
NAMES AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS. THAT
TAKES IDENTITY THEFT INTO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE, SINCE A CHILD
HAVING THEIR IDENTITY STOLEN MOST LIKELY WILL NOT FIND OUT UNTIL YEARS
DOWN THE ROAD, LONG AFTER THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE AND THE PERPETRATOR HAS
VANISHED. THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF
SUCH IGNORANCE ARE FAR-REACHING.” Zdnet, April 11 2011
“THE
RECORDS OF ABOUT 3.5 MILLION PEOPLE, INCLUDING SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, WERE
ERRONEOUSLY PLACED ON A PUBLIC COMPUTER SERVER AT THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER’S
OFFICE AND REMAINED THERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR UNTIL OFFICIALS DISCOVERED THE
MISTAKE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AGO, THE AGENCY ACKNOWLEDGED TODAY.
“THE RECORDS INCLUDED THE NAMES AND MAILING ADDRESSES OF INDIVIDUALS,
AS WELL AS SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, SAID OFFICIALS. TO VARYING DEGREES, THE
MATERIAL RELEASED PERSONAL INFORMATION SUCH AS DATES OF BIRTH OR DRIVER LICENSE
NUMBERS.” Star Telegram April 11, 2011
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/04/11/2991593/texas-comptrollers-office-mistakenly.html
DEACONESS
by Robert A. Kroboth www.citizengadfly.com
Please print and distribute copies of
this publication and put this link on your web site.
