What is Medical Identity Theft?

Highlights:

• Medical identity theft occurs when someone steals your identity to get medical care.
• Look for unknown medical procedures on bills or paperwork.
• Keep your medical information secure and review it for signs of fraud.

The price of getting medical care has risen over time. For some, this pushes them to make drastic, and often illegal, choices. Medical identity theft is a growing problem. It occurs when someone steals your identity to get medical care in your name. It can be hard for victims to spot. Plus, it can take a long time, and a lot of money, to fix.

How does medical identity theft work?

Thieves can use many methods to steal your identity. They may get your information from medical documents or an insurance card. They can also use phishing tactics. This could include calls, emails or other messages. These appear real and trick you into giving your information. Sometimes, phishing messages include hyperlinks. When clicked, they can install malware on your device. Malware collects information like passwords or Social Security numbers.

Once they have enough details about you, they can visit a doctor's office. They could get a medical procedure. They do this all in your name. If they don't pay, you may have to pay the bills. You may have to face debt collectors. It can even damage your credit scores.

Medical identity theft can also lead to fake medical records in your name. This can make it hard to figure out which records are real. This false information could keep you from getting the care you need. It could even cause your doctor to give you the wrong treatment.

What are the signs of medical identity theft?

Medical identity theft can be hard to spot. Here are some signs you are a victim of medical identity theft.

• You get a bill or paperwork from an unknown medical procedure.
• A collections agency has contacted you about unknown medical debt.
• You noticed strange medical debt on your credit reports.
• Your health insurer denied medical coverage due to a medical condition you don't have.
• Your health insurer tells you that you met your benefit limit before you expected.

If you think someone stole your identity, get help. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online at IdentityTheft.gov. You can also contact them by phone at 877-438-4338.

How can you protect yourself against medical identity theft?

Here are five ways you can help protect your medical information.

• Protect your medical information. Be sure to protect billing statements and documents from your insurance company. This also includes prescriptions, health insurance forms and your health insurance card. Don't give out your health insurance information to anyone, even family and friends.
• Destroy medical documents. Shred any document that has personal information. If you can't use a shredder, black out sensitive information.
• Review any communications from medical providers and insurers. Pay attention to notices, bills and explanations of benefits. Look for anything you don't recognize. If you see something strange, contact your insurer and providers.
• Check your medical records. Contact your providers to review your medical records. This is important if you notice strange activity. Report anything unusual to the provider in writing.
• Review your credit reports and scores. Review your credit reports often. Look for medical debt in collections. Also check your credit scores for unexpected changes. If you find something wrong, contact the three nationwide credit reporting agencies (NCRAs). These are Equifax^®, TransUnion^® and Experian^®.

How can Equifax help prevent medical identity theft?

It's a good idea to check your credit reports often. If you find accounts or balances you don't recognize, it could be a sign of identity theft. With Equifax Complete™ Premier, you can track changes to your Equifax credit report. You can also get alerts if your personal information is at risk of being on the dark web. Medical identity theft can be scary. But by being proactive, you can protect your medical identity.