Medical identity theft occurs when someone else uses your medical information to visit a doctor, get prescription medication, submit health insurance claims with your provider, buy medical devices, or similar. The information used can vary from your name to your insurance account number, Medicare number, or Social Security number.
This type of identity theft can affect your credit, the medical care you’re able to receive, and even the health insurance benefits you can use. Protecting your personal information can be challenging but following a few best practices can help. Keep reading to learn how to help protect your medical information from identity theft.
Protect Your Medical Information
Store your medical and health insurance records in a safe place. This includes health insurance enrollment forms, prescription information, insurance cards, billing statements, and Explanation of Benefits statements.
If you don’t need a medical document and don’t want to store it, shred it before disposing of it. For items that are hard to shred, such as a prescription bottle, you can remove the label to shred or use a marker to cover up your medical and personal information.
If you receive medical information in the mail, make sure to check your mail regularly. You may be able to limit the amount of medical mail you receive by getting your bills or Explanation of Benefits information online.
Ask Questions
Always ask questions before providing your medical information. Your doctor’s office may ask for your Social Security number to identify you. You can ask them to use a different identifier or the last four digits instead.
If you’re asked for information such as your insurance account number outside of the doctor’s office, ask why the information is needed, how it will be protected, and if it will be shared with anyone else. If someone calls, emails, or texts you unexpectedly to ask for your medical information, don’t provide it as this is a common scamming technique. Instead, log in to your account from a verified website or contact the company using a phone number you know is real.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact the Schuerman Law office today. Schuerman Law has been working with personal injury claims for over 40 years. John Schuerman will compassionately advocate for injured individuals as well as their families while fighting for full compensation of their claims. Schuerman Law offers evening and weekend appointments in addition to home and hospital visits. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 1-800-274-0045.
