When you think about identity theft, you probably mostly think about your finances. After all, we’ve all heard the horror stories about people whose identities were stolen and credit cards, bank accounts and other financial accounts of the victim being drained. But, the reality is that identity theft can happen in other areas of your life as well. In fact, experts say that only about 26% of identity theft is actually related to your financial identity.
The most dangerous aspect of this type of identity theft is the potential physical harm that it can cause its victims. Medical identity theft can result in erroneous information on your medical record. False information on your medical history can lead to misdiagnosis, improper treatment, or difficulty getting treatment at all for medical conditions that may be life threatening. According to the World Privacy Forum, up to 500,000 U.S. citizens may be victims, many of whom don’t even know it.
Instances of medical identity theft that involve one individual fraudulently using another’s identity are actually less frequent than the more common occurence, which involves organized crime rings. Corrupt health care workers and even doctors have been caught in well-organized crime outfits using medical information fraudulently to file false claims with insurance companies, often times on a large scale.
Unfortunately, confidentiality laws that are designed to protect you can often make it very difficult for you to review information in your medical history that you believe to be corrupt. There are, however, a few tips that you can use ahead of time or even if you think you’ve been a victim of this type of fraud already.
- Always maintain an updated copy of your medical record. Try to do this at least once every 2 years, and more frequently if you’re actively being treated by your doctor for an ongoing condition.
- Get a complete list of payments that your insurance company has made for your medical care each year. Be sure to cross-check those payments for any discrepancies or inconsistencies that may have occurred in your treatment.
- Check your credit report at least once a year to keep an eye on any suspicious activity that might pop up.
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