Medical Identity Theft

Medical identity theft can be considered the forgotten crime amongst the identity theft possibilities. However, it is just as important as credit fraud and could even be life threatening. There is a TREMENDOUS resource available for information about medical identity theft at http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/pdf/wpf_medicalidtheft2006.pdf

If you have insomnia or dont bore easily, read it. The World Privacy Forum put together this report and it is VERY thorough. 56 pages of good material, but pretty dry. Dont worry though, I read it and will share the most important details of the report here. Starting with these interesting cases...

1. A medical identity theft victim from Florida went for medical treatment and says she found that her medical files had been altered. She said that she discovered that an imposter had caused false entries to her file, including changes to her blood type.

2. An Ohio woman, while working at a dental office, accessed protected patient information and used the information to phone in prescriptions to area pharmacies. According to the Office of Inspector General, Health and Human Services, she "called in prescriptions in her name as well as the names of Medicaid recipients."

3. A Pennsylvania man discovered that an imposter used his identity at five different hospitals to receive more than $100,000 of medical treatment. At each hospital, the imposter created medical histories in the victim's name.

These are just some of the cases contained in this report, and they're all frightening. They make consumer identity theft pale in comparison. You can see how medical identity theft can cost people money, headaches, and possibly their life. The scary thing is that people have access to our medical records and personal information every day and can use that against us.

There are steps you can take to prevent medical identity theft, but you have to be proactive and willing to spend the time to protect yourself. I would take the time to learn ways to protect yourself, but also get an identity theft prevention and restoration plan simply because they will help you rather than doing all the work yourself.

1. Monitor your credit report

Many medical identity theft victims discovered a problem when they checked their credit report. Often people will find a collection notice from a hospital, lab, or medical service that was performed on an imposter. It may be difficult to remove the debt from your report, but comparing your medical file with that of the false medical report should prove your innocence. Make sure you file a police report and send a copy of the police report to the collection agency. Place a dispute on the collection report immediately.

2. Closely look over information from your insurance provider

Yes, reading insurance information may be tedious, especially medical insurance, but very important. Take the time to read over your benefits and coverages. Also, read over your statements, just like you would credit card statements. Look for erroneous charges like services you did not receive, office visits you did not make, or medical equipment you did not receive. You have a right to your medical records according to federal law: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability act (HIPPA). Use this resource to your advantage and request a copy at least once a year.

3. Request an accounting of disclosures

An accounting of disclosures is a technical term that displays everyone who has disclosed your medical information to someone else. Only health care providers and insurance companies are allowed access to this information, but they often have to disclose your information to each other on a regular basis. This record shows what information was disclosed, why it was disclosed, and the recipient of the information. If a criminal created erroneous information about you it would be passed from one place to another. The accounting of disclosures allows you to track all the erroneous information. Request a report from your medical provider and insurance company.

4. Request a copy of your medical files from your health care providers

This step is analagous to getting a copy of your credit report. Instead of analyzing the status of your credit, you want to analyze the status of your medical history. The problem is that often health care providers are reluctant to disclose this information. However, you are entitled to your own medical files, so if you get resistance, be persistant. In the case of medical identity theft, this step may be crucial in identifying the problem.

5. Correct false information in your medical file

I work in the medical field and know first hand that erroneous information and false identification occasionally occurs. Often this is the case of an incorrect birthdate, social security number, or a misspelled name. Such errors are easily fixed, but I've seen situations where a person arrives for a test and has the wrong identifying information on their report. We are trained to confirm their identity, but a person could be charged for a test that they never received if medical records and information are swapped by an identity thief or daydreaming clerk. Be sure to check for erroneous information with both your medical provider and insurance company. This can be a tedious process, but again, be persistent. If you are a victim of medical identity theft you must insist this information is corrected. Obtaining a police report will help your case if you are a victim of medical identity theft.

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