Federal Law now requires your health plan to report Social Security Numbers (SSNs) for all covered dependents to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In addition, if a covered dependent is also eligible for Medicare, the Medicare Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) must be reported.
The Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare Plan recently mailed all participants a form for reporting this information, and participants were required to respond by July 15, 2009. Participants who have not yet responded and do not have a copy of the form should call Railroad Enrollment Services at 1-800-753-2692.
The purpose of the law is to permit Medicare to determine whether it should be a secondary payer rather than a primary payer where an individual has both Medicare and other insurance.
Health plans that fail to comply with the Law are subject to stiff daily fines for each unreported Social Security Number, so this is an important request that deserves everyone’s prompt response.