Don't Give Doc Your Number

[Lewis]

Why you shouldn't give your doctor your Social Security number

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-shouldnt-doctor-social-security-200000935.html

 

[tim-from-pa]

Good advice. When SS first came out, people were concerned that this was a beast-like number but they were assured it was just for government use only. Now everyone and their brother wants it although I see that changing. In the past before computers, my old place of employment would flaunt people's SS around by printing them on their time-cards and everything. In the latter years, that changed probably due to outcry over privacy and ID theft. Fortunately, I was salaried and never ran into that. One time I was going to buy a phone from the phone store at AT&T and in the form they wanted my SS number. I angrily retorted "You don't need that carp. I'm buyin' a phone for cryin' out loud." And they backed down. Yes, you don't need to give it out.

As in the case of the medical field, the problem is they have insecure computers (MS rant coming! What would any thread be without one? ) The Dr my wife works for uses old XP yet without virus protection. I warn her not to go on any sites except the one she needs to transfer the records --- none. Not even her own email. But that's what he gave her when I refused to upgrade our old MS XP because I did not want Microsoft in this house any longer. Ours is collecting dust. I figured he would upgrade her to at least 7 or to that effect and supply his own protection from now on. But if this is what she got to bring into this house, what other medical Dr out there may be doing the same thing? Same with BANKS.

Get ID theft protection if in doubt is all I can say. It's terrible out there.