Kid's S.S. Numbers--Advice??

[Bens Momma]

I know I'm just being paranoid, but DH's work is switching health insurance plans so they are asking for him to re-enroll all of us. I can see needing DH and my SS # for claims, etc. but do they really need the kids? As long as we fill in ours can we just put the kids names & birthdates and leave the SS blank? I try to not give out SS #s if at all possible.

Thanks to anyone who knows about these things!
R.
Momma to 2 ACTIVE DS :bouncy::bouncy:

[KrisM]

For ours, if we have a claim for our kids healthcare, they need the SSN. But, if you're only doing claims for you and DH and the kids are covered elsewhere, I'd try to skip it.

[vonfirmath]

You always have the choice of not using this health insurance plan for your kids if you don't want to give them the SS#.

Our health insurance plan would not enroll our son for more than 60 days past birth without a SSN.

[AnnieW625]

Our insurance plan was the same we needed a SS# within 60 or 90 days of birth.

[Bens Momma]

Thanks for the quick replies!

[wendibird22]

They probably have to do it to avoid insurance fraud...more than one person claiming an LO as a dependent and to make sure that Joe Smith is the correct Joe Smith out of millions of Joe Smith's.

[m448]

they do need the ssn but they are not allowed to use it as your id# nor does a doc's office need it.

[kijip]

they do need the ssn but they are not allowed to use it as your id# nor does a doc's office need it.
:yeahthat:

We had to give it our carrier this week to finalize adding Finn.

[HannaAddict]

NO, you do not have to give out your or your children's SSN for ANY health insurance plan. Yes, every health insurance company seems to ask for it and has an official looking spot on the form for it, but NO, you are not legally obligated to give it out, nor can they deny coverage if you won't give it out! There are laws about what your SSN is for and they don't include health insurance. Your office manager or health care administrator at your company and sometimes the health insurance company will probably hyperventilate and demand the number, just tell them you do not use your SSN for any health care purposes period. Tell them to assign you a number and they will make up a number for that spot on the form. Trust me, been there, done this. And yet, still, when you go for your well baby visit, the receptionist will ask for your SSN very officially, as if it is a requirement. Just say no. It works. It is a pain but I decided it was worth it and won't give it out, no way, no how. Our local company (Regence) actually now has a "policy" of not requiring it and more easily assigns dummy numbers (like 999-30-1249) but the form still "requires" it. I wrote N/A and "I do not use SSN for health insurance, assign me a number" in the spot or just above it when we added my daughter. My husband, also a lawyer, had to educate his office manager on why his crazy wife would not not fill in that box.

The primary reason health insurance companies collect your SSN is for COLLECTIONS, to make it easier to go after someone who doesn't pay. It isn't for your benefit, it shouldn't be used to look up your account routinely and available to rank and file employees or contract data entry workers and they can use your name, DOB, or some other identifying info to find your account. I've worked on cases where a finance company's low paid workers were taking borrowers info and getting small loans using the SSN and other info. If everyone started saying, NO, and knowing their rights about who can use it (some states recently enacted laws allowing use for drivers licenses), the tide might shift. The health insurance company may tell you they have to have it but they don't. Good luck trying to keep your private information private. :)

[JBaxter]

We did give it to the insurance company but not to the doctor's office.