Colorado Law Compass

It’s bad enough you have to worry about someone stealing your identity to run up your credit card bill.  You also need to be on the lookout for someone stealing your identity to pay for medical expenses.

You may be a victim of medical identity theft

• you get a bill for medical services you didn’t receive;
• a debt collector contacts you about medical debt you don’t owe;
• you order a copy of your credit report and see medical collection notices you don’t recognize;
• you try to make a legitimate insurance claim and your health plan says you’ve reached your limit on benefits; or
• you are denied insurance because your medical records show a condition you don’t have.

What should you do if someone has stolen your identity?

1. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or by phone at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
2. File a report with your local police, and send copies of the report to your health plan’s fraud department, your health care provider(s), and the three nationwide credit reporting companies. Information on how to file a police report is at www.ftc.gov/idtheft/consumers/defend.html.
3. Exercise your right under HIPAA to correct errors in your medical and billing records. Write to your health plan or provider detailing the information that seems inaccurate. Include copies (keep the originals) of any document that supports your position. In addition to providing your complete name and address, your letter should identify each item in your record that you dispute, state the facts and your reasons for disputing the information, and request that each error be corrected or deleted. You may want to enclose a copy of your medical record with the items in question circled. Send your letter by certified mail, and ask for a “return receipt,” so you can document what the plan or provider received. Keep copies of your dispute letter and enclosures.

Most important of all, be careful about giving any personal information to anyone.  Verify who they are.  Check your credit reports regularly.

You can read more here.

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/ / CC BY 2.0