Lifelock and Medicare (no, there's no connection)

[unixronin]

So much for Lifelock, the company that guarantees to protect you from credit identity theft, and whose founder has his social security number on the company website challenging people to try to steal his identity.  It turns out that so far, at least thirteen different people who have taken him up on his challenge have succeeded.

In entirely unrelated news, the Houston Chronicle reports that Texas doctors are leaving the Medicare system in droves because they cannot afford to provide Medicare services any more.  According to the Texas Medical Association poll, over 300 Texas doctors have stopped providing Medicare services over the last two years, including fifty in the first three months of 2010 alone, and more than 40% of the doctors in Texas are considering it.

Oh, and just for the heck of it ... a pop quiz, via writerspleasure.

Comments

[luke-jaywalker.livejournal.com]

Re: Lifelock: Would it be possible to charge the founder with facilitating identity theft? Since he seems to have enabled those thirteen people to use his name in stealing money from those companies...

Mind, I do not consider stealing-money-by-deception from those lying, thieving scum at AT&T to be a crime, a sin, or anything other than fair play by that company's own rulebook.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Good question. I'm not sure there's be any particular legal mileage in doing so, considering he already got fined $10M for deceptive advertising.

[databeast.livejournal.com]

"I'm a PHD! I know EVERYTHING! Now dial this telephonography numeral for me, Peon!"

(run out of places to post this in the current XKCD thread)

[jilara.livejournal.com]

When you issue a challenge, people will always take it up. However, it brings up another interesting question---namely that of companies that have NO RIGHT TO IT asking for a social security number for identification purposes. AT&T?? What right does AT&T have to ask for your SS number?

And about that Medicare... It's not just Medicare. The Doctor's group and affiliated hospital I use opted out of the "Preferred Providers" on my HEALTHCARE PLAN because they said the plan was offering them even less than they got from Medicare, "which is not conducive to the continuation of our medical practice." They have very reasonable fees, so I didn't hurt too much for carrying more of the expense for them being now out of network, but jeez. It says bad things about the insurance company, that they are offering LESS than Medicare! I bet this is just a taste of things to come.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

It says bad things about the insurance company, that they are offering LESS than Medicare! I bet this is just a taste of things to come.

I don't doubt you're right.

[lizzibabe.livejournal.com]

AT&T wants the ability to send your debt to a collection agency if you skip out on them. Legally you don't have to provide them the number, but, also legally, they don't have to provide you with service either.

[lizzibabe.livejournal.com]

The first time I heard about Davis' number getting used I lol'd my fool head off. The taste of Schadenfreude pie never tasted so sweet.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

And once again I quote, from elsewhere:

Me: Is it still Schadenfreude if it's SCO's misery that you're reveling in?
Ang Thomas: Yes, but it's the good kind.

[lizzibabe.livejournal.com]

John Scalzi posted a recipe for Schadenfreude pie (http://whatever.scalzi.com/2006/09/26/how-to-make-a-schadenfreude-pie/).