Posts Tagged ‘Medical Identity Theft’

When it comes to medical ID theft, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

You’ve just been in an accident and you’ve been rushed to the emergency room. You’re unconscious.

As the attending physician examines you, she reviews what she thinks is your medical record, which shows you’re not allergic to any medications. She prescribes and administers medication to help you with your pain. The problem is that you’re severely allergic to it.

The bigger issue is that the medical records the doctor reviewed aren’t yours.

This scenario is repeating itself again and again. Not only is medical identity theft a criminal offense, but it puts the lives of thousands of people in jeopardy every day.

About 250,000 people are victimized by medical identity theft each year in the U.S. Add that to the potential instances that occur during reported and unreported data breaches, and the number climbs into the millions.

In addition to the possibility of receiving treatment with life-threatening consequences, medical identity theft is one of the most dangerous forms of identity theft.

And in addition to being a danger to your health, medical identity theft can have other consequences, including false medical and pharmacy bills, false health insurance claims, denial of claims, coverage denial, and the expense and time spent of correcting falsified records.

Each of us must take steps to protect our medical information. Just as you faithfully check your credit report, you should also check your medical records, paying particular attention to invoices and insurance claims.

Remember: a little monitoring now can save a lot of work later – and perhaps even your life.

Take steps to prevent medical identity theft

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Could identity thieves be using your personal and health insurance information to obtain medical treatment, prescription drugs or even surgery? Could dishonest people working in a medical setting be using your information to submit false bills to insurance companies?

The answer is a resounding yes. Medical identity theft is a newer twist on identity theft, but it can, just like regular identity theft, affect your finances, your credit and take a toll on your health.

But how would you know if your personal, health or health insurance information has been compromised?

According to the Federal Trade Commission, victims of this type of theft typically receive a bill for medical services they didn’t receive, are contacted by a debt collector regarding medical debt they don’t owe, find unauthorized medical collection notices on their credit reports, are told by their insurance carriers that they’ve reached their limit on benefits when filing a legitimate claim, or are denied insurance because their medical records show a condition they don’t have.

The most worrisome part about this type of theft is that a thief will use your information to get care, and this creates a record which could be mistaken for yours. This could include a different blood type or inaccurate medication information, which could put your life in jeopardy.

While there’s no fool-proof way to prevent medical identity theft, there are some steps you can take to minimize your risk.

• Verify a source before sharing information. Don’t give out personal or medical information on the phone or through the mail unless you’ve initiated the contact and you are sure who you’re dealing with. Be cautious about “free” health services or products from providers who require you to give them your health plan information.
• Safeguard your medical and health insurance information. If you keep copies of these records, make sure they’re secure. Be on guard when you use the Internet, especially to access accounts or records related to your medical care or insurance. If you are asked to supply your Social Security number, ask why it’s needed and how it will be kept safe, and whether it will be shared. If online, look for Web site privacy policies and read them thoroughly. Look for a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL that begins with “https.” Remember that e-mail is not secure.
• Treat your trash carefully. To thwart medical identity theft, shred your insurance forms, and prescription and physician statements. Destroy the labels on your prescription bottles and packages before you throw them out as well.

If you think you’ve become a victim of medical identity theft, order a copy of your credit reports and check them thoroughly. Check your health statements to be sure the statements match the care you received. You should also request a copy of your medical records. You have a right under HIPAA to obtain your records and correct errors in your medical and billing records.

By keeping a vigilant eye on your information and your records, you can reduce your risk of falling victim to medical identity theft. To protect all of your personal information, call LifeLock today. LifeLock will monitor to be sure your information isn’t used to ruin your good name, and if your information is compromised, LifeLock will help restore your credit.

Data breach

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Health Net data breach prompts attorney general’s “historic lawsuit”

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said last November that he was “outraged and appalled” upon learning of Health Net’s massive data breach and their keeping it hush-hush for six months. He acted on those feelings this week by filing suit against the insurer and its new owners, United Health Group and Oxford Health Plans.

The data breach occurred May 2009 when a hard drive containing the information of 1.5 million customers went missing. Records were for the period 2002 through 2009. Roughly 446,000 of the members are from Connecticut.

Blumenthal’s lawsuit asserts Health Net gave its employees inadequate supervision and training on appropriate maintenance, use and disclosure of protected health information.

The company explained the six-month lag time between their awareness of the breach and their notifying state officials by saying the time was necessary to complete a “detailed forensic review.” Kroll, a computer forensic consulting firm hired to complete the investigation determined the information wasn’t encrypted or protected in any way from access or viewing. (more…)

What to do if you become a medical ID theft victim

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Imagine you receive a collections notice from a hospital 1,000 miles away … in a city you’ve never visited … for a surgery you’ve never had … for a health problem you don’t have … and the notice says you owe more money than your house is worth.

You have to take immediate action, but be warned: Whoever had the surgery might be recovering better than you will. (more…)

LifeLock review: No rules for discarded medical records

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Imagine your doctor becomes ill and is no longer able to practice medicine. Imagine he succumbs to dementia or has a stroke. Do you know what happens to your medical records?

If you live in Massachusetts, no one knows the answer because there are no laws governing the disposition of medical records when a medical practice goes under—for whatever reason. (more…)

LifeLock review: Red Flag Rules to prevent medical identity theft

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

After a long delay, health-care providers are scrambling to establish Red Flag Rules in their practices by the May 1 deadline. (more…)

University of Florida official reveals ID theft cases, warns of more to come

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

University of Florida has achieved unwanted notoriety for their numerous data breaches over the last year, and the news presented to the university’s trustees yesterday can only worsen the school’s reputation. (more…)

Medical Identity Theft

Friday, October 10th, 2008

Identity theft is something we’re all familiar with by now – some of us have become painfully familiar with the ensuing aggravation, paranoia and financial damage. But there’s a new and growing subset of identity theft whose ramifications can deadly.

Medical identity theft is a crime wherein your medical or insurance information is used to obtain medical care or to falsely file for payment of medical care. Perhaps it’s best illustrated by example: (more…)