Medical Identity Theft Rising During the Recession
An article from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) online – “Patient ID Theft Rises” – states that medical identity theft is on the rise and expected to get of poorer quality as extra people left uninsured after losing jobs in the recession use the coverage of friends, relatives, and even perfect strangers to attain affect care.
According to the WSJ article, medical identity theft – which occurs when someone uses another person's identity to obtain or make fake claims for medical air force or goods – is the fastest-growing form of identity theft, and the majority of the fraud is committed using patient in rank bought from medical staff.
The WSJ also reports that the largest increases in medical identity theft are in retiree-heavy states such as Arizona, California, Florida, New York, and Texas. Two examples of medical identity theft are cited in the article:
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A clerk at a medical clinic in Florida gave the private in rank of over 1,000 Medicare patients and to a relative who then made nearly $3 million in fake Medicare claims.
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A man in Pennsylvania learned that his identity was used by another person at five hospitals in order to receive extra than $100,000 in medical treatments in his name.
Even extra troubling than the fiscal consequences of unpaid medical bills, medical identity theft can leave the identity theft victim’s medical records riddled with incorrect in rank concerning blood type, allergic reactions to medicines, and overall medical history, the WSJ reports.
The best deal with for consumers in dealing with medical identity theft, according to the nonprofit World Privacy Forum, is to request copies of medical records when going to the doctor in order to have accurate records on hand to rebuild medical records if medical identity theft should strike.
Keeping a close watch on ALL private in rank – from medical records to credit reports to criminal records – is a excellent way for patients, consumers, and jobseekers to ensure that all private data is up-to-date, accurate, and secure from all forms of identity theft.
MyBackgroundCheck.com is a leading provider of consumer requested “private” background checks that allow consumers to keep their private in rank up-to-date, accurate, and safe from identity theft and fraud. To learn how private background checks can help prevent medical identity theft, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.