# HIPAA & diclosure of social security #'s **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-diclosure-of-social-security-s/174807 "2003-05-12T22:31:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oldmaid85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oldmaid85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oldmaid85)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-diclosure-of-social-security-s/174807/1 "2003-05-12T22:31:12Z")
To receive discount medication, a pharmaceutical company is asking for certain information, including my SS number. I was a victim of identity fraud a few years ago and don’t want to experience a repeat. Must I disclose my SS #? Doesn’t the law protect me from this? Everything I have read says don’t give this number out. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-diclosure-of-social-security-s/174807/2 "2003-05-12T22:44:25Z")
Yes everything tells you that your SS # is not to be used for identification and that you should never give it out to anybody. That doesn’t stop everybody and their brother from requiring it for identification. You probably DO have to give it to them. Enjoy your government-assigned mystery number! Who needs names? ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-diclosure-of-social-security-s/174807/3 "2003-05-12T23:43:02Z")
Per [this FAQ](http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/privacy/ssn/ssn.faq.html#IsItIllegalToAsk) on SSNs, it appears that while the government is restricted as to when it may ask for your SSN, private companies, for the most part, aren’t: > [@](#): > > **Is it illegal for someone to ask for my SSN?** > > The short answer is that there are many restrictions on government agencies asking for your number, but few on individuals or companies. When someone from a government agency asks for your number, they are required to provide a Privacy Act Disclosure Notice, which is required to tell you what law allows them to ask, whether you have to provide your number, and what will happen if you don’t provide the number. > > Private companies aren’t required to follow this law, and in general your recourse is to find another company to do business with if you don’t like their policies. ---
**Author:** ![Regina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d78d45/32.png) [@Regina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regina)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-diclosure-of-social-security-s/174807/4 "2003-05-13T01:11:20Z")
All HIPAA does as far as the privacy of your SSN is restrict the pharmacy/doctor/whatever from releasing your social security number and other identifying info, except they can give identifying info, such as SSN, when turning you over to a collection agency. Here is the text of the rule, but I don’t think your question really involves HIPAA: [http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2/regulations/privacy/finalrule/privruletxt.txt](http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2/regulations/privacy/finalrule/privruletxt.txt) ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-diclosure-of-social-security-s/174807/5 "2003-05-13T01:38:02Z")
Under HIPAA, a covered entity is prohibited from sharing your information, including SSN, with anyone. This does not mean that some scuzzball employee won’t steal your SSN and use it for nefarious purposes, but the chances of that happening are pretty small. If this is a concern to you, you might want to ask why they want your SSN, because unless you’re paying them directly, the only possible need I can see is if they use it to cross-check it against state Medicaid/Medicare/CHIP rolls. Robin ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-diclosure-of-social-security-s/174807/6 "2003-05-13T02:46:14Z")
My insurance company ID IS my SS number. Perhaps that is why they require it, because it is also your subscriber number. Although I see you say discounted, not insurance. In that case, why not just make one up. I’m sure their reason is innocent, but if that is the case then making one up will not hurt anyone. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-diclosure-of-social-security-s/174807/7 "2003-05-13T05:07:31Z")
When I noticed that a new med insurance card listed my SSN, I asked for a new number. No problem, they issued it with no hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-diclosure-of-social-security-s/174807/8 "2003-05-13T14:10:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dauerbach \* > \*\*In that case, why not just make one up. I’m sure their reason is innocent, but if that is the case then making one up will not hurt anyone. \*\* It’s never a good idea to lie to your insurance company, as it’s a really easy way to lose your coverage. Perhaps the OP should follow **jasg** ’s example and merely request that a different number be used. –Cliffy