Medical
Identity Theft
Medical
Identity Theft is an area of extreme importance
because of the potential injury to health, finances
and credit.
If
an identity thief uses someone else’s name and
social security number to receive medical services,
a chain of events is triggered that can be devastating.
First,
a charge for services is generated… possibly
for tens of thousands of dollars… which
probably will be sent to the thief’s address.
Under federal law (FACTA), a fraudulent debt must
be reported to the debtor within 60 days, or it belongs
to the person with the correct name and social security
number, can’t be appealed and doesn’t
qualify for discharge in bankruptcy… even if
a statement was never received!
Second,
the medical record is contaminated…
the thief’s blood type, test results and diagnoses
become part of the legitimate medical record. Under
federal law (HIPAA) that incorrect information cannot
be removed from the record, but can only be annotated
as to its incorrect nature. That can interfere with
obtaining health insurance and can cause premiums
to increase.
Third,
the contaminated medical record can be life-threatening.
If the rightful owner of the identity has a severe
illness and is treated based on incorrect medical
information, the result can be life-threatening.
Conclusion…
Steps should be taken to insure that correct personal
medical information is available to medical personnel
in an emergency.
|
The link to
(Emergency Medical Card). |
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