| According to the American Health Information | | | | manager, privacy officer, or anti-fraud hotline at |
| Management Association, medical identity theft | | | | the provider organization or health plan where the |
| accounts for 3% of identity theft crimes. The NY | | | | medical identity theft occurred.o Request a copy |
| Times reports that 250,000 people a year who | | | | of your medical records. If the provider |
| have their identities stolen are medical identity | | | | organization or health plan refuses to give you |
| theft cases. | | | | access to your records, file a complaint with the |
| Medical Identity Theft affects individuals, | | | | Office of Civil Rights or Health and Human |
| healthcare providers, and health plans. | | | | Services at (866) 627-7748.o Work with the |
| 1. For the individual, it leads to a trail of false | | | | organization where the medical identity theft |
| medical records and can plague your medical and | | | | occurred to stop the flow of incorrect information |
| financial life for many years. The elderly, | | | | and correct the existing inaccurate health record |
| newborns, minors, people whose medical | | | | entries.o File a police report.o File a complaint with |
| information are on public registries (e.g. cancer | | | | the attorney general in the state where the |
| registry) and individuals with developmental and | | | | medical identity theft occurred.o Check with state |
| intellectual disabilities are particularly at risk for | | | | authorities for resources.o File a complaint with |
| medical identity theft. Dead people are often | | | | the Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse operated |
| targeted too. | | | | by the Federal Trade Commission and the |
| 2. A health care provider who incorrectly bills the | | | | Internet Crime Complaint Center.o Contact the |
| victim for treatment provided to the identity thief | | | | Department of Health and Human Service for |
| may have to write off all the expenses related to | | | | Medicare or Medicaid fraud (800) 368-1019.o |
| the thief as he has trouble canceling health | | | | Review health records to make sure they have |
| insurance claims that were made for the thief. His | | | | been corrected prior to seeking healthcare.o |
| reputation can be damaged and his practice | | | | Change all personal identification numbers and |
| negatively affected. | | | | passwords. |
| 3. The reputation of the health plan can be | | | | Once your medical identity has been stolen, your |
| damaged too as they pre-approved and paid for | | | | life becomes a nightmare as it is a life and death |
| the thief's treatment which is applied to your | | | | issue. All your energy is consumed with getting it |
| annual or lifetime benefit allowance. They also | | | | back and it can take years. If you want to |
| store wrong medical information in its database | | | | correct your record, you have to do it on a |
| and share it with the Medical Information Bureau. | | | | case-by-case basis as the wrong information may |
| Frequently Asked Questions: | | | | be in dozens of health care providers and |
| Question: What happens when a medical identity | | | | insurance plan records. Until such time as all your |
| thief uses my name, social security number, and | | | | records are corrected, you could be denied |
| medical insurance information to get medical | | | | additional health, disability, or life insurance and |
| services from doctors, emergency rooms, | | | | your credit record could be permanently damaged. |
| hospitals, and pharmacies? | | | | I want to share with you the way I protect my |
| Answer: A false medical record is created in your | | | | medical identity and what kind of help I would get |
| name. | | | | if my medical identity were stolen. I just love the |
| Question: How does that affect me? | | | | Identity Protection Service I have as it monitors |
| Answer: In an emergency, you could be treated | | | | my social security number and medical insurance |
| based on the wrong information and DIE as the | | | | information every day for medical fraud, |
| new record contains the thief's blood type, | | | | insurance and criminal records. |
| allergies, prescription drug use, and a history of his | | | | Check List to Determine whether an Identity |
| diseases. | | | | Protection Service would be good for you:o Would |
| Question: How can I find out if my medical | | | | you like a service that protects your medical |
| identity has been stolen? | | | | identity so it cannot be stolen?o Would you like a |
| Answer: It is usually very difficult to discover that | | | | service that monitors your social security number |
| you are a victim of medical identity theft as it is | | | | and medical insurance information every day so |
| often hidden in complex payment systems, | | | | you would know right away if a thief has stolen |
| databases, and medical records. | | | | your medical identity?o Would you like your entire |
| Question: When I find out that I have been a | | | | family to be protected, including your children to |
| victim, how can I fix it? | | | | age 25 and senior dependents?o Would you like to |
| Answer: It is even more difficult to correct. Under | | | | have an Expense Reimbursement Insurance |
| the federal law known as Hipaa (Health Insurance | | | | Policy?o Would you like to fully recover your |
| Portability and Accountability Act) you are entitled | | | | identity by having a professional team of |
| to a copy of your medical records. However, | | | | paralegals call the agencies, do the paper work, |
| once your information is mixed in with the thief's | | | | and cooperate with the police to help find the |
| information, you may have trouble getting your | | | | thief.o Would you being willing to pay a small |
| files as privacy laws regulate that the thief's | | | | monthly fee to have a team of experts help take |
| medical information, now in your records, must | | | | the stress out of your life? |
| also be kept confidential. | | | | It is my pleasure to share with you a safe and |
| Question: What can I do to correct my record? | | | | secure way to live without stress and fear of |
| Answer: Ten Steps to Get Your Medical Records | | | | having your medical identity stolen. |
| Correctedo Contact the health information | | | | |