08 Oct Is it okay to give Social Security numbers, driver’s license, to doctors?

Q. Medical offices often ask for a Social Security number and they frequently copy my driver’s license. I don’t like it. Is it okay?
— Patient

A. No one likes it, really.

The scanning of a driver’s license is to protect against insurance fraud. They are simply making sure that you are who you say you are.

The 2017 Personal Information Privacy and Protection Act (PIPPA) only allows the person’s name, address, date of birth and driver’s license number to be captured.

As for your Social Security number, medical providers often use this as a piece of information that can be used to track you down if you don’t pay a bill.

You ask if it’s okay.

Like any organization that has your personal information, it should take steps to protect it. Ask your provider how it handles, stores and protects the information.

And we’ve said it before — while you should always only give out your information to trusted folks, we live assuming our information is already out there because there have been so many huge data breaches. We’re not saying it doesn’t matter, but you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube.

That’s why it’s so important to freeze your credit reports as a proactive effort to protect yourself from identity theft and other fraud.

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This story was originally published in October 2024.

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