Submitted by Brilliant-Classic707 t3_zyirf9 in personalfinance
It was given to my dentist that I scheduled an appointment while they were gathering my insurance info. They are a legitimate business but is there any risk in giving the number over the phone?
FYI when dentists and doctors ask for my SSN I just tell them no. They don’t insist. It’s really just so they can track you down if you owe them money.
1000% this. SSNs are for opening up new lines of credit and banking. Nobody else needs my SSN and just because there is a spot on the form doesn't mean you have to fill it out.
Technically, billing your insurance is extending you a credit. You had a procedure done and the insurance will not pay for it for a few weeks or longer.
Endorsed. Doctors don’t need your SSN. I leave it blank. If they ask, I’m ready to parry with a question about their filing security (we’re talking paper here!)—but tbh, nobody has ever pushed back.
And if you owe them money, they will get your SSN anyhow. Even back in 2003 when I was the office manager of a collections agency it was easy to get SSNs when doing skip tracing. Cost a dollar a piece when running 25 at a time. Even cheaper now.
If someone refuses to give me their social security number, I will not extend the courtesy of billing their insurance for them. Instead, they can pay up front and submit the claim on their own. Nearly 5000 patients, no one has refused to give it.
The phone isn't a problem. Not like the line is being tapped by hackers. The dentist probably wants it to confirm your ID with the insurance company (medical ID theft) or to run a credit check on you.
The potential risk is the dentist having their data base hacked and all identities stolen. Avoid giving out your SSN if possible.
No there’s no risk in doing a normal thing
Totally normal thing to do especially when dealing with Health care. There’s small risk as these people probably handle this sensitive info all the time and it is well documented who calls/when an appoint was made and all that
It’s totally unnecessary to give any healthcare provider your SSN. All they need is your insurance ID number. Years ago many insurance cos. used SSNs as ID numbers and providers continue to ask for it out of habit. The less people that have your SSN, the better.
For a very long time the state of Mississippi used SSN's as drivers license numbers. As a consequence when I was at Mississippi State University I had to give that number to at least 100 people over the years. It has not been an issue in, well longer than I wish to admit. But decades.
It's fine to give it out to one person when you know who that person is.
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Dessum t1_j261uv5 wrote
I mean, there's never a 0% chance the person taking your call won't steal your ID I guess, but giving your SSN over the phone isn't the same as posting it online or anything. It's not like anyone was secretly listening in.