You haven't had any real health problems nor have you stepped foot in an emergency room lately. Having said that, I'm sure you would be surprised to learn that you owe thousands of dollars worth of emergency-service medical bills because you weren't protecting your identity.
That's what happens when you're a victim of medical I.D. theft. You're advancing in life and decide to purchase a car. When you apply for a car loan, you then discover debts on your credit report for emergency room visits at places in the country you've never been.
Turns out, you're a victim of a fast-growing crime known as medical identity theft .
Recent federal data suggests more than 250,000 Americans a year are victims of medical identity theft. This number continues to increase; some say because of the increased use of electronic medical records systems built without extensive safeguards.
An uncountable number of people do not yet know they are victims. They may not know that their medical information has been tampered with for months or even years until, as in many documented cases, it shows up in collections on a credit report.
While you're unaware that your medical identity has been stolen, your insurance company may continue to pay the fraudulent claims without your knowledge. You're likely to learn of the fraud only when trying to make a legitimate claim and the insurance company informs you that you have reached your lifetime cap on benefits.
Imagine discovering erroneous information in your medical files during a doctor or hospital visit. This definitely poses a bigger risk than the finances. The medical records may now contain vital information like blood type, allergies , prescription drug use, or a history of disease that is just plain wrong. In an emergency, doctors could treat you based on this erroneous information.
With medical identity theft, fraudulent charges can remain unpaid and unresolved for years. It could permanently damage your credit rating. Under the federal law known as Hipaa, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, you are entitled to a copy of your medical records but you may have to pay a hefty fee for them.
Worse, Hipaa privacy rules can actually work against you. Once your medical information is intermingled with someone else's, you may have trouble accessing your files. Privacy laws dictate that the thief's medical information now contained in your records must be kept confidential too.
Even when you are able to correct a record, say in your doctor's office, the erroneous information may have been passed on to dozens of other health care providers and insurers. You now have the responsibility of tracking down and resolving these errors. Be proactive when it comes to protecting your identity.
Do you want to take the risk of being a victim of the fastest growing crime? Would you like to have the best of the best when it comes to preventing identity theft? They do not just give you a kit in the mail to do it yourself. You will have a licensed investigator assigned to you from the world's leading risk consulting company assist you every step of the way if you become a victim in any of the 5 areas of identity theft. http://www.Identity-Theft-411.info
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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