In another sign that the federal government is reducing programs in Maine, new parents will no longer be able to apply for Social Security numbers for their newborns from hospital maternity wards.
Instead, they will have to take their infants to offices of the Social Security Administration and fill out paperwork there.
At the other end of the life spectrum, funeral directors in Maine also will not be allowed to file death verifications electronically, but will have to notify the Social Security Administration by sending in paperwork.
The two programs were permitted under contracts that the federal agency had with the Maine Center for Disease Control’s office of data, research and vital statistics. Maine CDC sent out notifications on Wednesday to providers of such services that those contracts have abruptly been terminated.
Theresa Roberts, vital records supervisor at Maine CDC, said in a letter sent to providers that the program that allowed parents to apply at hospitals and other birthing centers for Social Security numbers for their new babies — called enumeration at birth, or EAB — has been widely used.
“EAB is voluntary for parents,” she said in the letter. “However, almost all parents utilized the EAB to obtain an SSN for their child.”
Alisa Morton, communications director for DHHS, said Thursday evening that the changes only affect how the Social Security Administration handles birth and death notifications. It does not change the process for how the state handles the same information.
“SSA’s decision to terminate these contracts does not affect birth certificates or how the State of Maine registers births or deaths,” Morton said.
Morton said the department will share further information with affected service providers “as it becomes available.”
