Diagnosis: Fraud

Medical Identity Theft can be deadly.

Most of us know what identity theft is and we do our best to keep our private information and passwords secure. But one of the latest forms of identity theft surface all the time, and the latest could have a more dangerous effect than any other—Medical Identity Theft.

Medical Identity Theft occurs when a thief uses your name and/or health insurance information to see a doctor, get a prescription, file a claim, or get other medical assistance.  The real headache kicks in when their ailments ‘become’ yours, as they’re then part of your health, insurance, and financial records. Many people have legitimately been buried by the cost of medical treatment, so you also need to protect your credit report from this kind of crime.

Detecting Medical Identity Theft

So how can you keep an eye out for fraudulent activity in this part of your life?  The Consumer Information branch of the Federal Trade Commission suggests that you read your medical and insurance statements regularly and completely, as they can show warning signs of Medical ID Theft.

Read the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statement or Medicare Summary Notice that your health plan sends after treatment. Check the basics: the name of the provider, the date of service, and the service provided. Do the claims paid match care that you’ve received? If you see a mistake, contact your health plan and report the problem.¹

Other signs of medical identity theft include:

• A bill for medical services you didn’t receive
• A call from a debt collector about a medical debt you’re unaware of
• Medical collection notices on your credit report that you don’t recognize
• A notice from your health plan saying you reached your benefit limit when you haven’t had unusual numbers of appointments or procedures
• A denial of insurance because your medical records show a condition you don’t have.

If you do detect Medical Identity Theft, how can you correct the mistakes in your medical records?  You can spend a lot of time contacting your medical providers and insurance company to get the information removed, or you can let our Identity Theft professionals help you.  Identity Protection can give you peace of mind and it can save you hours and months of follow-up should your information be compromised.  Services include credit and cyber monitoring, identity theft reimbursement insurance, and concierge-style identity recovery services—all for less than a few cups of coffee each month.

Don’t let someone else’s aches and pains become yours.  Consider Identity Protection for yourself and for your entire family.  It’s affordable peace of mind.

¹ Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Information