Medical Identity Theft Threats Life and Liberty

A Florida medical identity theft victim almost
became another more serious type of victim. It
seems her blood type had been changed within
her medical files. An imposter had caused false
entries into her file, like the incorrect blood type,
which could have resulted in her death as a result
of the medical indentity thief.

Or, in Boston where an area psychiatrist made false entries
in charts of individuals who were not his patients so that
he could submit false bills in their names to insurance
companies.

The innocent victims of this medical identity theft learned,
as one innocent man did, only after applying for employment
that his medical record had been falsified to include
numerous false pschiatric sessions that did not ever happen
and a diagnosis for severe depression.

And, in Pennsylvania a man discovered a medical identity thief
had used is identity at (5) different hospitals to receive more
than $100,000 worth of medical treatment. Besides the
financial burden, the Pennsylvania man now is faced with the
prospects of unraveling the five separate medical histories all
created under his name by the medical identity thief.

Unlike financial identity theft, the medical variety does not
always provide a clear path for you (the consumer) to get an
idea your personal information has been abused nor an easily
identifiable path to recovery.

So, our tip for today is to understand you do have some limited
but empowering rights. Under HIPAA, the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act, you:

Right to access, inspect, and copy your health information

Right to request correction or amend your health information

Right to request accounting of disclosures of health information
(who has received it?)