I was issued a Medicare Health Insurance card with a set of characters markedly different from my SSN. Big joke with my SSN, because it was my ID number when I was in the Navy, and it's everywhere in the system.

When the ambulance dropped me off at the hospital  with a shattered wrist - a double compound ( tibia and fibula) broken leg - with arterial bleeding (clamped) the admitting drone began interrogating me for my personal information. 

I refused to give my social security number.

The drone said "If you don't give it to us, we can't treat you"..

I said "Fine - push me out to the curb and let me die".



The drone made up a number.


"Not for use as identification" - it says that right on the card.

What is it supposed to be for, if it's not for ID? That's the only time in my life when I've been asked for the number.

(October 8, 2019 at 11:34 am)Chad32 Wrote: What is it supposed to be for, if it's not for ID? That's the only time in my life when I've been asked for the number.

The only places you are required to give a SSN is your employer - your bank - or anytime you recieve money.

I remember the chits we used to fill out in the Navy. At one point it said "Submission of SSN is voluntary. If SSN is not provided disciplinary action may occur." (Not verbatim, and possibly not valid after 1989.)

(October 8, 2019 at 12:24 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: I remember the chits we used to fill out in the Navy. At one point it said "Submission of SSN is voluntary. If SSN is not provided disciplinary action may occur." (Not verbatim, and possibly not valid after 1989.)

Yup. They used SSN as a Service Number.

It pissed me off.

(October 8, 2019 at 4:10 pm)onlinebiker Wrote:

(October 8, 2019 at 12:24 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: I remember the chits we used to fill out in the Navy. At one point it said "Submission of SSN is voluntary. If SSN is not provided disciplinary action may occur." (Not verbatim, and possibly not valid after 1989.)

Yup. They used SSN as a Service Number.

It pissed me off.

I got a service number when I enlisted in '69. Very easy one to remember, still have it in my head.

Yeah, my SSN was also my military serial number.

And when I got my driver's license my SSN was used as my Iowa license number. I think it was when I moved to Arizona in the early 80s too. I don't remember when they did away with that or if all states did it.

(October 8, 2019 at 5:00 pm)arewethereyet Wrote: Yeah, my SSN was also my military serial number.

And when I got my driver's license my SSN was used as my Iowa license number.  I think it was when I moved to Arizona in the early 80s too.  I don't remember when they did away with that or if all states did it.

Michigan doesn't use SSN. They appear to be random. (But are not)

In the service I got a Alaskan, then Californian driver's licenses. 7 years later - I applied for a new michigan DL - and they gave me the same number I had originally. Go figure.