Protect Your Medical Information from Theft

June 19, 2008 By Tisha (Kulak) Tolar

It’s a frightening enough thought to know that you could be the victim of a scam artist who steals your social security number and uses it maliciously. Perhaps you could be on the wrong end of a scheme that involves your stolen credit cards. Whatever ways a criminal can find to extort information or money from you, it is important to note they will do whatever it takes and not care much about the red tape and aggravation they leave you to deal with.

Where There is a Will, There is a Way

Even more frightening is the discovery of a new way for a theft to steal your identity. One such way seems unimaginable but yet it happens. There are people who have become victims of criminal acts perpetrated again them and their own personal medical information. It is no longer important to just protect your social security number, it is also necessary to protect your medical insurance number as well. To some this piece of information can be very valuable, yet can hurt both you and your wallet where it counts.

Where Did You Go Wrong?

So, how does such information fall into the wrong hands? Many times the information can be stolen right from your mailbox when you receive statements or announcements from your insurance carrier. Experts have seen a rise of stolen medical insurance information particularly across college campuses, when students share living quarters with other roommates. Sadly, it is more common to have the information stolen from an insider at the medical facilities. The information can then be sold to individuals looking to buy it. Sometimes it is a whole crime ring that is involved who pay people on the “inside” to obtain your medical records. Consider the recent cases of celebrity medical records being sold to tabloid news outlets. The reality is this doesn’t just happen to the rich and famous but to people who honestly need the health insurance coverage.

The Last to Know

Often people do not discover their medical records have been tampered with until they need a medical procedure and are refused insurance coverage. It may also be discovered by consumers who wisely check every statement that comes in the mail. The consequences of someone else using your medical insurance can be great. Some people have been arrested, held responsible for large bills, and have had their credit ruined by collection accounts - all for services they have never received.

How To Cope

It is very difficult to rectify medical identity theft. You can be proactive in making sure your information remains safe by keep a lock on your mailbox and by not sharing your insurance card information with anyone. You may also go a step further and after each doctor visit, request a copy of your medical records as proof for later should you need it. Records will cost you a bit of money but it may be worth it in the end. Because identifying a medical identity theft is difficult, you can generally only hope that the medical providers involved will be willing to help you in your unfortunate situation. Should you find yourself in such a predicament, you should file a police report immediately to help protect you in your fight.

Posted in credit score, debt, emergencies, family, financial problems, fraud, health, identity theft, insurance, personal behavior, personal finance perspectives, scams