The States need to add language to their rollout of the Affordable Care Act to protect their citizen's identity.

The Navigators to the Affordable Care Act are not required to collect personal information from anyone to provide information to citizens about their choices of health care insurance. 

Citizens should be asked to only place any information pertinent to their application for health care when their decision is complete and on the application to their choice. Citizens are allowed to ask as many questions as they like to make their decisions, but, never have to provide personal information of any kind until they apply for their health insurance.

Anyone coming forward as a Navigator seeking personal information is committing identity theft. The government can't control that, the consumer has to be educated. Identity theft happens all the time, this is an opportunity for criminal activity and the consumer needs to be educated to that outcome.

Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Management Issue: Strengthen the Integrity and Protection of the Social Security Number

Office Affiliation: The Office of Investigations

Earlier today, (click here) at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Central Islip, New York, Grigoriy Dekhkanov, a Queens resident, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for his role in a mail fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.

The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Michael E. Seremetis, United States Secret Service (“USSS”), Long Island Resident Office, Resident Agent in Charge; and Edward J. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (“SSA-OIG”).