1677 - A letter to your congressman

Well how stupid can the government be? WAIT! I don't have time to answer all your comments. Besides, this is my bitch session.

I got my brand new Medicare card today. Plastic? Nope. Cardboard. But that's not the problem. Guess what my Medicare number is? IT'S MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER!! That's right. The one thing they tell you NOT to care around in your wallet to prevent ID theft is now in there. Permanently. Until I die. What a bunch a morons. So I guess I'll copy the card and blank out the first 5 digits. That ought to make for some interesting conversations in the future.

Also, I have a name problem. I've always gone by my middle name. Guess what Medicare has no option for. That's right. The IRS can do it. The State of Missouri can do it. But not Medicare!

So the Medicare card has the wrong name and my SS# on it. I love the government. It adds stress to my life. And I hear a little stress is good for you. Thanks government for looking out for my health.

So here's what I wrote to two Senators and a Representative (you can write one too)...

1. I just got my new Medicare card and could not believe what I saw. My medicare number is my social security number. How stupid is this in today environment of ID theft! You need to get Medicare to come up with their own numbering system quickly.

2. The name on my Medicare card is not the name I go by. Apparently the programmers are too dumb to figure out how to program in a middle name.

If the IRS can figure out how to use my right name surely Medicare can too.