The Federal Trade Commission issued a report detailing the prevalence of medical identity theft:
Medical identity theft almost tripled from 2001 to 2005.
As many as a quarter to a half million people a year are being victimized by medical identity theft.
Approximately 3.25 million Americans had their information fraudulently used to get medical care.
What is Medical Identity Theft?
According to the World Privacy Forum, medical identity theft “occurs when someone uses a person's name and sometimes other parts of their identity – such as insurance information – without the person's knowledge or consent to obtain medical services or goods or uses the person's identity information to make false claims for medical services or goods.”
Dangers of Medical Identity Theft
Victims of medical identity theft face financial woes and credit damage. They also face more serious problems. When thieves use a victim's name and information to obtain medical treatment, they can alter health records and substitute their information for the information about the victim. The resulting inaccurate information causes mistakes that can lead to life-threatening problems:
Wrong blood types
Wrong allergies to medications
Prescriptions that the victim doesn't use
Underlying medical conditions the victim does not have
How to Spot Medical Identity Theft
“Red flags” that can help consumers spot medical identity theft include:
Explanation of benefits for procedures that the consumer did not have performed.
Bills from doctors that the consumer never visited.
Denial of benefits from an insurer because the consumer is “over their limits” when that is simply not the case.
A consumer can take preventative measures to guard his or her medical information:
Check credit reports every year. L ook for outstanding bills for medical services you never received.
Request an “Accounting of Disclosures” from medical providers every year. Insurance and health care providers are required under federal law to tell consumers who accessed their records.
Request a list of “benefits paid” from your insurer. Consumers should ask their insurer each year for a list of all benefits paid on their behalf. Consumers can discover benefits paid out even if the thief has changed the billing address.
Read the “Explanation of Benefits” (EOB) statements. Consumers should carefully read their EOB statements for false claims such as surgeries, prescriptions, doctor visits, lab tests, x-rays, etc.
Actions for Victims of Medical Identity Theft
Victims of medical identity theft can take steps to clear up their financial records:
File a police report immediately.
Contact all medical providers to correct or amend records.
Contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office regarding their Passport Program for Victims of Identity Theft at MY-ID-4-ME (1-888-694-3463).
File a medical identity theft complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-433-4338).
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Avoiding Fraud, Theft and Scams
Medical identity theft almost tripled from 2001 to 2005. 
“Red flags” that can help consumers spot medical identity theft include:
Victims of medical identity theft can take steps to clear up their financial records:
