Medical Identity Theft-A New Trend
Identity thieves today are getting more and more crafty when it comes to stealing personal information and how they are using it. These thieves can leave a person with hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay and it’s not even from credit card fraud.
Imagine this, you come home from work, get the mail and open a letter from a collection agency stating you owe them $40,000. At first you may think this is a joke but then your read on and realize that the bill is made out to you for a medical procedure you never had done.
Shock ensues on this realization. No scars are on your body and you recollect that you never even been to a hospital in years. Unfortunately you are stuck with this bill and have become a victim of Medical Identity Theft.
What is Medical Identity Theft? It occurs when scammers steal your identity information which includes your name, SSN and birthdate. These scammers then turn around and use this vital private information to get medical procedures in your name. These thieves then supply a fake insurance company or state they don’t have one when they are at the hospital.
What’s more sinister is that when these impostors use your information to treat their ailments it changes your medical record file. This can result in taking wrong medication or advice from doctors regarding your health. As well, once your medical file has been changed wrongly, currently there are no rights to correct any medical mistakes.
Some hospitals see this issue as pressing and are in the process of changing how they admit patients. Some hospitals now require additional identification such as a passport or drivers license.
