Pt social security number

Handsome Robb said:
I don't understand the whole argument that "we have more pressing things to do."

While sometimes it's true the vast majority of the time it is not and it takes 5 seconds to ask.

In my 5 coming up on 6 years in the field I've only had a handful of people refuse to give it. If they do I don't push the issue.

People make the argument all the time that billing isn't our job but ultimately it is...if your agency can't bill for a transport that's money that the agency won't be reimbursed for. That happens enough times and budgets start taking a hit.

Along with the usual name, DOB, address and phone number we always ask for their insurance company, at minimum. Ideally we enter their ID number and group number as well as a primary contact for the insurance if it isn't them.

We also have to select if they live in our county, our neighbor county or "other" because since we're tax funded being a resident or not changes their base rate on their bill.

We also do itemized billing so I have to select the different supplies we used.

If we can't get billing info we can't get it but if it happens habitually we hear about it from command staff.


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Hardly an argument, IMO:). I pretty much agree with you.

Personally speaking, this topic is not really a big deal to me. I don't see any issues here.

You're either able to get their info, or you're not. End of story;).
 
Yeh...I agree. I am in a business which bills for health care. Believe me, I understand the value of getting a SSN. However, I also have issues turning my medical teams into pseudo billers. It is such a weird area to operate in, so I understand both sides. I used to hate having to ask for billing/personal details, but now I NEED You to get that number so we can get paid and I can pay you!

Additionally, it is one less control for the patient who is already having a bad day to protect themselves. Having to give out every freaking detail and not know who or where that info goes and the potential fraud that could go along with it. Just the way it is and I wish there was a better way. No solutions.
 
Tigger said:
And physical address, mailing address, phone, insurance information, district residency, next of kin, and previously reported medical history. All that I otherwise have to hunt and peck on a tablet to type otherwise.

So yes, I guess I'm lazy.
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You've been a medic what… Three days now? How quickly we cut corners [emoji12]


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If they tell me their SS#, I enter it in my ePCR box. If not, I just leave it blank.
 
I obtain as much info as I can. It's not much more work for me, and many of the questions the hospitals ask as well.

All of the hospitals here use SSN for registration.

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Our PCRs have a box for SSN but I never ask my patients for it mainly because I know I would not feel comfortable if I was in their shoes and I don't want to put them in that situation.


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dbest9 said:
Our PCRs have a box for SSN but I never ask my patients for it mainly because I know I would not feel comfortable if I was in their shoes and I don't want to put them in that situation.


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I don't understand this at all.
We are given a SSN for a reason, and the reason is not to have a secret number that warms the cockles of ours hears because we know it and don't share it.

No, we were given a SSN for identification and access to services.

Not giving out a SSN is like buying a house but not living in it because you don't want to damage it.

I ask every patient for their SSN. Why? Because the hospital asks me for it, and it helps my billing department. Is billing my job? No, but the success of the billing department is important for my paycheck. In 5 years, I've had one person refuse.

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With how easy it is to steal identities without a SSN let alone with it, I think I'm good keeping it a secret. Feel free to give yours out as little or as often as you live in your house but I'm keeping mine protected

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dbest9 said:
With how easy it is to steal identities without a SSN let alone with it, I'm keeping mine protected
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I don't need yours, I need my patient's...for billing purposes:).
 
dbest9 said:
With how easy it is to steal identities without a SSN let alone with it, I think I'm good keeping it a secret. Feel free to give yours out as little or as often as you live in your house but I'm keeping mine protected

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If a patient says no to me, it's no big deal. I usually get it 10 minutes after I put him in an ED bed when the registration person hands me a face sheet.
 
Let me ask you this, are you against getting a MediCare number?
Oh, wait.

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dbest9 said:
Our PCRs have a box for SSN but I never ask my patients for it mainly because I know I would not feel comfortable if I was in their shoes and I don't want to put them in that situation.


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So.....a Social is not ok, but it's ok to get their full legal name, birthday, mailing address, insurance information including policy and group numbers etc etc? You do realize the hospital will ask them for their SSN within a few minutes of them being there as part of the registration process right? Heck sometimes the Registration person will be asking the pt their demographic info while we're still getting triaged, a lot of the registration people will ask us to give them the info we have, and then ask the pt for anything we missed right then and there (assuming there's not a nurse/doctor reassessing them right then and there, in which case registration will ask once the RN/MD leaves....)

DEmedic said:
If a patient says no to me, it's no big deal. I usually get it 10 minutes after I put him in an ED bed when the registration person hands me a face sheet.
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Exactly. I ask all my patients, most of them will rattle it off, and most of the times when I can't get an SSN from my patient is because the patient can't remember (or is in no condition to tell me) not because they refused....either way I just note in my ePCR "Pt declined/refused to provide SSN/Pt unable to recall SSN at time of transport" or something similar.
 
I don't gather insurance info from them either so really it's just name, DOB, and address. We have an robust billing department that does that. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying that's what I do for the reason I said. Just an opinion.

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dbest9 said:
I don't gather insurance info from them either so really it's just name, DOB, and address. We have an robust billing department that does that. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying that's what I do for the reason I said. Just an opinion.

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Yeah, but it's apparently dbest opinion [emoji16]

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NPO said:
Yeah, but it's apparently dbest opinion [emoji16]

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I see what you did there [emoji1] probably shouldn't have incorporated part of my real name in my username....

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