The Horrors of Medical Identity Theft

Written by Paul Cameron

Tuesday, 10 November 2009 09:02

Medical identity theft is the act of somebody utilizing your personal information for their medical purposes. This is extremely dangerous and you should be mindful of the risks involved.

by PaulCameron

Medical identity theft is the act of someone making use of your confidential information for their medical purposes. This is extremely dangerous and you should be aware of the risks involved.

Medical identity theft is seldom reported or looked into and that makes it easier for people to carry out this type of crime. If your medical records are compromised then it can have potentially fatal results. Whether it's being administered the wrong drugs or the wrong type of blood, this is one type of theft you cannot afford to permit to transpire to you or your family. In an urgent situation your medical records might be all the health care providers have available to figure out the best treatment for you.

This could also prevent you from getting life saving medications due to the other individual's medical records being confused with yours. They may have an allergy to the medicine or have a health condition which prevents the hospital from administering it to you when it's required. This list of possible outcomes is long and none of them are acceptable.

Doctors may label you as a drug seeker due to the other individual's medicines being confused as yours. If this takes place it might affect your ability to obtain particular medicines or you could even lose your job and be investigated by the authorities. If you work in the medical profession you may even lose your license to practice.

This type of identity theft can also transpire in the form of insurance fraud. This is when an individual uses another's insurance to acquire health care. Not only does this hurt you because your premiums might go up and you might be billed the deductibles, but your medical records may be compromised and incorrect information might be added to them.

If you cannot or do not pay the bills that are in your name then you might be held legally responsible and can even be sued. If you are sued and still do not pay, then they might garnish your wages. This can also adversely affect your credit rating and prevent you from purchasing a home or even a car. Moreover, if you apply for a job that checks you credit rating you might be ineligible due to this.

Your medical records are used to figure out whether or not you qualify for specific government benefits such as disability or social security. If somebody uses your records to obtain these benefits for themselves then you could lose the ability to get these benefits for you and your family should the need arise. You could also be held accountable for paying the government back if it is believed that you are drawing these benefits while working and not reporting the earnings from your job.

You need to always do all you can to defend yourself and your family from medical identity theft. Whether it is using the services of an identity theft insurance company that helps to safeguard your identity or simply checking your credit rating and asking for copies of your medical records from time to time, it's well worth the effort or possible expenditure you may incur to prevent a possible catastrophe.

Once someone has taken your identity it can take years to put things back as they ought to be. You will likely incur legal expenses plus you have the added responsibility of proving that you are the real person and not the one who stole the identity.

About the Author:

Identity theft is a growing problem, and many people are worried that they will become victim to this faceless crime. That's why it's so important to learn some tips on how to protect yourself from identity theft, and consider whether identity theft insurance might be the right choice for you.