• Credit
• Data Breach
• Fraud
• Identity Theft
• Other News
• Privacy
• Reviews
• Scams
• Tips
• Truston

« Previous Post | Blog Home | Next Post »

Medical ID Theft Wrecks Victims' Health and Finances

Posted on May 6, 2006 by Tom Fragala

ABC News reports has an article (via About.com) about medical ID theft—someone using your identity to get health care. Basically they get the health care and the victim gets the bill, not a new scam, by any means. But it does have the added blow of creating false medical records in your name. The article references a new report by World Privacy Forum.

A new report out today from the World Privacy Forum, a nonprofit research group, has found more than 19,000 complaints of medical ID theft on file with the federal government.  Medical ID theft is dangerous to more than just your wallet. Criminals can use your Social Security number, date of birth, or insurance information to link doctor's appointments you've never had and medical records that aren't yours.

One thing I like about the report, is that they make recommendations that essentially your medical files should be treated to similar to your credit file and other sensitive data stores.

• Individuals’ rights to correct errors in their medical histories and files need to be expanded to allow them to remove false information from their files.
• Victims of medical identity theft should have the right to receive one free copy of their medical file.
• Individuals should have expanded rights to obtain an accounting of disclosures of health information.
• Notification of medical data breaches to consumers has the potential to save lives, protect health, and prevent losses.