Why do hospitals need ssn

Health Insurance companies are required to obtain your Social Security number. You should not include your Social Security number on a job application. Once you are hired, your employer will need your SSN for tax purposes W-4 form and to document your legal right to work in the United States I-9 form. If you have additional questions about the use of your Social Security number, you can contact the ITRC for no-cost assistance.

Call us toll-free at This information should not be used in lieu of legal advice. Home Personal Finance. Did your doctor ask for your Social Security number?

Think twice before saying yes Published: Dec. ET By Kari Paul. I rebuilt my life after hitting rock bottom at My estranged daughter says she only wants my money and jewelry. In , there were data breaches involving Social Security numbers, representing more than half of the total reported number of breaches. Many of these breaches occurred in the health care industry, where medical records enjoy a long shelf life.

The health care industry, with hospitals leading the way, reported that Alarmingly, about half of all health care organizations had little or no confidence that they could detect the loss or theft of patient data, and the majority lack the budget to secure their data , according to a annual study on health care data privacy and security by the Ponemon Institute, a security research and consulting organization.

The more your number is out there, the greater the risk of identity theft. According to Medicare , you need to protect the new card as you would a credit card, giving the number only "to doctors, pharmacists, other healthcare providers, your insurer, or people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf. After that, there are a few limited exceptions for use of the older Medicare cards. In some cases, your healthcare provider may say they need your Social Security number simply because they have a field in their computerized medical records that must be filled in.

The solution? Ask them to use zeros. Quiz the staff on their security practices and repeat your concerns to the doctor if you still don't get satisfaction. You can't be sure your healthcare provider's security practices are sufficiently robust.