Patient ID Now Urges Congress to Remove Longstanding Ban on National Patient Identifier

Patient ID Now is calling on House and Senate appropriators to repeal Section 510 in the FY27 Labor-HHS appropriations bill, which restricts federal action on a national patient identifier. The group argues the decades-old policy contributes to medical errors, higher costs, and privacy risks due to inaccurate patient matching. Removing the ban would allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to explore secure, scalable solutions to improve patient identification, support interoperability, and advance safer, more efficient, and patient-centered care nationwide.