hello researchers,

could you point granny to a website paragraph that explains what the
2-digit suffix {usually -01 or -02} following the regular 9-digit SSN
denotes?

thanks a million!
GB

---

Request for Question Clarification by nellie_bly-ga on 28 Oct 2002 10:04 PST

Where are you seeing this?  On a bank or credit card statement or the like?

---

Clarification of Question by badabing-ga on 28 Oct 2002 10:14 PST

it's been in several medical files I've been working on recently. 
does it signify a dependent of a Medicare recipient?  railroad
retirement number?  what?  granny's scratchin' her head on this one. 
much obliged for whatever you can bring me.

---

Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 28 Oct 2002 11:24 PST

Why granny you hit me right in the wallet with this one.  Though I
can't provide a website, quick reference to the First Choice Health
Network card in my wallet shows that SS # 123 4567 891 02 is my
beloved spouse; and 03 is my beloved daughter.  And Mr. 01 -- that's
me.

It's the same convention followed by our last four health care plans.

You don't have to thank me a million.  Just stay a loyal GA customer!

Best regard,

Omnivorous-GA

---

Request for Question Clarification by tar_heel_v-ga on 28 Oct 2002 12:54 PST

Granny, do you happen to reside in Nevada, Illinois, Washington
(state), or Maryland? If so, I may have a solution for you as those
states add additional numbers to the SSN for driver's license numbers
and the medical facilities may be using that number as opposed to just
the SSN.

-THV

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Clarification of Question by badabing-ga on 28 Oct 2002 13:00 PST

okay insatiableappetiteman,

we may be getting somewhere.  so you're saying if a person's on
Medicare or receiving Social Security disability, the individual is
-01, spouse is -02, and child is -03 through 0-whatever or are all
children -03?  granny will probably get the "out of the scope" hook on
this one but she likes to live dangerously.

will still pay+meager tip for website documentation.  you know what a
skeptic granny is.

here's your exchange of information payment:  stay away from this new
Cookies & Snickers/M&Ms/Mars product.  granny is dissin' them
publicly.  it's a blatant bastardization of the good Snickers name. 
tastes like sawdust.  confiscate them from your kiddie's Halloween
sack and send to garbage disposal land.  okay, granny's gotta go
before she has a brain infarct.

---

Request for Question Clarification by luciaphile-ga on 28 Oct 2002 15:01 PST

On what exactly are you seeing this number?  Is it in reference to
Medicare or disability?  I believe I have your answer, but I am
attempting to track down the web documentation you requested and I
want to be sure.  Thanks!

---

Clarification of Question by badabing-ga on 31 Oct 2002 15:40 PST

hello kids,

granny had to spend a few days in credit card jail, but she's now
escaped to run amok in hopes of getting to the bottom of this SSN
brouhaha.  uh, let's see, where were we?  I see you guys got all busy
since my incarceration but I hope you'll still help an old customer.

JSilverheels:  the state in question is Idaho.  that's very
interesting about the driver's license info, but it's not on *every*
person which leads me to believe this is not a productive road to
motor down.  thank you, though, and I'll file this tidbit of info in
my great giant headbank.

lovelylucia:  would you take your best shot if you can remember where
you were on your research?  would it be all right if granny previewed
your answer though since this one seems to be the Great Social
Security Mystery?  It is in reference to Social Security disability
but there could be a geriatric in the mix, she said qualifyingly.

NB:  I would assume it's a numeric field of some sort, hence the two
digits harkening back to my old coding days as well.

22D:  this looks like the closest but there are no letters involved,
only numbers. is granny reading this right?

---

Clarification of Question by badabing-ga on 04 Nov 2002 12:27 PST

TTD:  post that puppy as an answer, will ya?  I'm gonna use that
Empire card for documentation.  thanks all you researchers who worked
on this.  you are most appreciated.  I've taken down all your names so
I can direct questions to you in the future.  beware.

gratefully,
GB

Dear badabing-ga;

You made my brain sore with this one:

The only example I can find is an insurance card that no longer uses
the patient's social security number as an account identifier (many
companies are moving away from this concept because of fraud and
privacy concerns). My own insurance company DOES use social security
numbers as identification numbers however, and my own card does in
fact have two extra digits on the end of my social security number.
Though I cannot find a reference that indicates a standard for this
practice, I can tell you what my insurance company has told me:
 
The two digits added to the social security number on an insurance
card indicate the status of the insured. A "00" for example, indicates
the cardholder is the primary insured party to whom the benefits are
offered. A "01" indicates that the cardholder is an eligible spouse or
domestic partner of the insured. A "02" through "however many is
necessary,” indicates that the cardholder is an eligible dependent of
the insured, or is a co-insured party such as a disabled family
member, in-law, or whoever else might also be eligible to enjoy the
benefits of the primary person’s policy.
 
Here you can see an example of a non-social security number being used
as a card ID number:
 
Empire – Blue Cross & Blue Shield 
http://www.empireblue.com/about_empire/plans_services/newid.shtml

Thanks Granny! Looking forward to next time. Have a great day!

Best regards;
tutuzdad-ga

sorry this one made your head hurt.  I get these stumpers quite often
which is why granny is 'purt near bald.  your help is *so* very much
appreciated.  wish I could tip you $100 -- you jolly well earned it
runnin' this one down!

Hi Granny!

My best set is that they are using your 9-digit SSN as a data key for
your record. Any -# they put after it is simply to help them organize
a lower level data field.

So, if your SSN is 123 456 789, then your patient file might be
identified by 123456789-01.

Anyways, that's my guess. 

Cheers. 

websearcher-ga

hello dollbaby!

well, that's a mighty fine guess but this is a suffix assigned by the
gov.  I see it ever so seldom but when I happen upon it, it annoys the
dickens outta me because I don't know what it means.  has nothing to
do with a patient number; rather, it's actually an 11-digit SSN
assigned by Uncle Sammie -- to mean what, I haven't a clue.  granny's
eyes glaze over when she goes to any .gov sites.

thought it might be younguns movin' home to live with their grannies
as dependents or a child being raised by grandparents.  alls I know,
mine better not come back to roost with granny or she'll get her
shotgun out.  all granny's disposable income is tied up in Google
Answers.

I hope this is also a $2.12 puzzlement to one of you researchers so
granny can check this off her things-to-do list.

cheers and beers back to ya, webhero!
GB

Wellllllll

If it were a single digit, I'd guess it to be a "check digit," a
unique single digit number that is placed as the last number of a
series of numbers and is made from a calculation involving all of the
other numbers.  A computer checks the last digit to verify that it is
a correctly entered number.

Could be and the first zero is meaningless, but, as an old coder,I'd
think the explanation by omnivorous is the most likely.

I believe that the additional number you are referring to is called
the Beneficiary Identification Code (BIC). This code identifies the
type of title II benefits that are payable to the card holder or
his/her survivors/dependents.


http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/36f3b2ee954f0075852568c100630558/70c5ba8b92b7b83785256a5e004ea4fe?OpenDocument

The only example I can find is an insurance card that no longer uses
the patient's social security number as an account identifier (many
companies are moving away from this concept because of fraud and
privacy concerns). My own insurance company DOES use social security
numbers as identification numbers however, and my own card does in
fact have two extra digits on the end of my social security number.
Though I cannot find a reference that indicates a standard for this
practice, I can tell you what my insurance company has told me:

The two digits added to the social security number on an insurance
card indicate the status of the insured. A "00" for example, indicates
the cardholder is the primary insured party to whom the benefits are
offered. A "01" indicates that the cardholder is an eligible spouse or
domestic partner of the insured. A "02" through "however many is
necessary,” indicates that the cardholder is an eligible dependent of
the insured, or is a co-insured party such as a disabled family
member, in-law, or whoever else might also be eligible to enjoy the
benefits of the primary person’s policy.

Here you can see an example of a non-social security number being used
as a card ID number:

Empire – Blue Cross & Blue Shield
http://www.empireblue.com/about_empire/plans_services/newid.shtml