Identity Theft: How It Can Affect Your Healthcare
One of the many downsides to a recession is that people get desperate and crime increases. As job shortages grow and money reserves dwindle, crimes like identity theft tend to skyrocket. To make matters worse, identity thieves don’t simply go after your credit records, as many people think. They also go after your healthcare.
How your healthcare can fall victim to identity theft
When consumers are short on money, they forego luxuries like dining out or buying new clothes. When consumers are desperately short, they’re forced to make decisions between essentials, like whether to buy prescription drugs or pay their electricity bill.
Identity thieves follow the same pattern. In times of plenty, they steal money to buy their own luxuries. When resources are lean, they move toward stealing information that will contribute to their health and welfare. This is where healthcare identity theft enters the picture.
Identity theft of healthcare, also called medical fraud, has been on the rise ever since medical records were transferred to electronic sources. Just as your home computer can be hacked by identity thieves, the computers at hospitals and healthcare centers are also subject to hacking.
Similarly, just as your risk of identity theft rises if a thief gets access to your credit cards, your healthcare identity fraud risk goes up if a thief accesses your health insurance card.
The real risks of healthcare identity theft
If your medical records get stolen or if your health insurance card falls into the wrong hands, here is a sampling of what can happen:
- You might be misdiagnosed. If your medical files have been stolen and altered in any way, your provider may not be able to offer you the appropriate level of care you need. You could face the danger of being misdiagnosed based on false information.
- You could receive astronomical medical bills. Operations and other health treatments can cost upwards of several thousand dollars. Criminals who pursue healthcare identity theft will use your name and insurance information in order to receive expensive treatments. If the treatment is not covered by your insurance company, you get hit with the bill. If your insurance company did cover the treatment, it might refuse to cover any subsequent health charges f
1000
or you for the year.
- Your credit history could be damaged. Having to pay for medical expenses that weren’t yours may be far more than you can afford. Worse yet, it often takes a considerable amount of time to prove you didn’t receive the treatments in question. In the meantime, the unpaid treatment bill becomes a blemish on your credit record.
- You might not qualify for the care you need. If your healthcare plan only covers a limited number of prescriptions refills or treatments and an identity thief uses up all the coverage, you may not be able to receive further healthcare.
- You could lose your parental rights. Healthcare identity theft goes beyond problems with bills and treatments. If a thief uses your name to receive treatment for drug-related problems, you could be accused of drug-related crimes. If a thief brings in a child who is the victim of abuse, you could be accused of assault and could lose your parental rights.
- You may lose your rights to a job. Certain professionals are required to meet specific health standards. For instance, pilots and air traffic controllers all have to undergo periodic medical examinations to ensure they are fit to perform their jobs. If your medical records are botched by identity theft errors, you may lose the right to serve in a certain position.
How to protect yourself from healthcare identity fraud
The best way to protect yourself from identity fraud when it comes to healthcare is to be aware. Stay in touch with your doctor or hospital by checking in for annual health exams. Always ask for copies of your medical records and test results so you can make sure they’re accurate (this is also an excellent way to stay informed about your own health status).
You should also pay attention to bills or notices you get in the mail from your insurance company. If you come across something you don’t understand, call the company right away instead of tossing the mail aside.
When visiting your doctor or checking in at a hospital, always give your medical record number and do not state your social security number out loud. Similarly, don’t leave your health insurance card anywhere that wandering eyes might see it.
Finally, just as is the case with protecting yourself from regular identity theft, keep a watchful eye on your credit report. Look for large bills from healthcare organizations. If you ever receive legitimate medical bills from healthcare organizations, make sure to shred them once you’ve paid what you owe.
Mindy Tyson McHorse is a contributing writer for BillSavings.com, your information resource and community for money-saving tips and offers so you can shop, compare, and save money on just about everything.
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