The Horrors of Medical Identity Theft
Medical identity theft occurs when an individual uses somebody else’s personal information for medical purposes. Not only is this unlawful, but it can also be very dangerous.
Medical identity theft is rarely reported or looked into and that makes it less difficult for individuals to perpetrate this type of crime. If your medical records are compromised then it can have potentially fatal results. Whether it’s being given the wrong medications or the wrong kind of blood, this is one type of theft you cannot afford to allow to transpire to you or your family. In an emergency situation your medical records might be all the health care providers have to determine the proper treatment for you.
Another potentially deadly effect from this may be the doctor withholding life saving medicines because of the other individual’s medical history. If the physician is uncertain of which patient is in front of him, then he may be hesitant to use certain medicines to prevent additional complications, even though it could be very useful to you.
Other consequences may be that you could be labeled as a drug seeker because of the medications given to the other individual. This could have an effect on your ability to obtain prescriptions for certain medicines and you could be reported to the police as a drug user. It could even impact your job if physicals or medical information is necessary for employment.
When somebody makes use of your information for insurance purposes it’s considered to be insurance fraud. Not only can this affect your insurance premiums, but you might be responsible for co-pays or any bills not covered by the insurance company. Here again your medical records are compromised as a result of the other person using your identity.
If you are unaware of the bills then your credit may be impacted to the point of being disqualified for car and home loans and other credit related opportunities. You could even potentially be sued for the bills that were created in your name by another individual. If you’re sued then your pay may be garnished for something you had no awareness of. It could also cause you to lose job opportunities if the employer checks your credit score.
If someone uses medical identity theft to obtain government benefits then it could mean that you cannot draw those benefits for yourself if they’re needed. This consists of disability and social security income that legally belongs to you and your family.
To prevent medical identity theft you need to be very cautious about allowing anybody to have your personal information, and always know what is in your records in the event of an emergency. If you require help then there are identity theft insurance companies that will protect your identity for you and notify you of any unusual changes.
Once your medical identity has been stolen it might take years to put things right. You may incur legal fees and you will need to prove that you’re the legal owner of your own identity and not the individual who has stolen it from you.
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.
