Leah Beth Ward of the Yakima Herald-Republic reports:
With identity theft on the upswing, Aram Langhans thought he was simply being prudent when he asked the Yakima Heart Center to remove his Social Security number from its files.
“They had my insurance card and my driver’s license. What else did they need?” said Langhans, a retired public school teacher insured by Group Health.
Langhans said he was initially hooked up to a portable heart monitor that he was to wear for 24 hours, but the disagreement over his Social Security number prompted upper-level personnel to change their minds. He said moments after the device was attached, he was sent to a restroom to remove it and turned away.