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The Medical Identity Theft Information
Page
About medical identity theft, the world privacy forum medical identity
theft report, and resources
What is medical identity theft?
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. Medical identity theft frequently results in
erroneous entries being put into existing medical records, and can involve
the creation of fictitious medical records in the victim’s name.
Medical identity theft is a crime that can cause great harm to its victims.
Yet despite the profound risk it carries, it is the least studied and
most poorly documented of the cluster of identity theft crimes. It is
also the most difficult to fix after the fact, because victims have limited
rights and recourses. Medical identity theft typically leaves a trail
of falsified information in medical records that can plague victims’
medical and financial lives for years.
The World Privacy Forum researched and published the first major report
about medical identity theft and brought this crime to the attention of
the public for the first time (Full
report ). We also maintain the only detailed
FAQ for victims of the crime as well as consumer
tips and best
practices for healthcare providers. We are currently researching the
second report on medical identity theft, which will be published in 2008.
REPORT: Medical Identity Theft: The Information Crime that Can Kill
You.
Released May 3, 2006
Author: Pam Dixon; contributor: Robert Gellman
This report finds that medical identity theft is a crime that can cause
great harm to its victims. False and erroneous entries in victim medical
files and other harms make it imperative to understand this crime better
and learn more about it and how it works.
Key recommendations in the report include:
- Individuals’ rights to correct errors in their medical histories
and files need to be expanded to allow them to remove false information
from their files.
- Victims of medical identity theft should have the right to receive
one free copy of their medical file.
- Individuals should have expanded rights to obtain an accounting of
disclosures of health information.
- Notification of medical data breaches to consumers has the potential
to save lives, protect health, and prevent losses.
- All working prototypes for the National Health Information Network
need comprehensive risk assessments focused on preventing medical identity
theft while protecting patient privacy.
FAQ: Detailed steps for recovering from medical identity theft
for victims
- FAQ for victims: Read
the detailed Medical Records FAQ for victims (on the
web):
This FAQ is a step- by- step guide to accessing and amending medical
records, getting a history of disclosures of medical files, and recovering
from medical identity theft. This FAQ was released June 30, 2006 and
is checked regularly for updates. This FAQ contains sample letters
for victims, and is detailed.
CONSUMER TIPS: What to do if you are a victim of medical ID theft
(or are worried about it)
- Read the Consumer tips
(on the web)
These consumer tips are more general than our detailed FAQ for victims.
These are tips suited for victims of medical identity theft, and for
people who are concerned about knowing what steps they can take to
detect and prevent medical identity theft. These tips were released
in May 2006 and are checked regularly for updates.
BEST PRACTICES: Medical Identity Theft: Best Practices and Solutions
for Providers
Released October 2007
What has the World Privacy Forum Been Doing About Medical Identity Theft?
The World Privacy Forum, as the organization that published the first
major report about this crime, is very actively working on the issue of
medical identity theft to both understand and document the crime and to
find the best practices that can be used to assist victims after the fact
and to detect, prevent, and deter this crime from happening. We are also
working with victims of this crime to assist them.
- The World Privacy Forum is actively engaging in dialog to determine
national-level standards for responding to medical identity theft, including
authentication practices (current as of 2008).
- The World Privacy Forum presented a workshop to providers and government
stakeholders regarding medical identity theft and best practices for
responding to the crime in March 2008.
- In January 2008, a California law based on the World Privacy Forum
recommendations in its report went into effect.
- The World Privacy Forum published research-based recommendations to
providers regarding best responses to the crime of medical identity
theft in October 2007.
- The World Privacy Forum presented recommendations and solutions regarding
victim recovery from medical identity theft to the California Health
Information Association in June 2007.
- The World Privacy Forum filed comments with the President's Strategic
Task Force on identity theft in winter 2006 and explained the issues
relating to medical identity theft. Medical identity theft was included
in the Task Force's report published in April, 2007.
- The World Privacy Forum presented issues and solutions regarding medical
identity theft as part of the HISPC project in regional meetings with
health care providers and other stakeholders in November 2006.
- The World Privacy Forum presented issues and solutions regarding medical
identity theft to thought leaders in Tokyo and other parts of Japan
and discussed trans-national differences in the crime. (October 2006).
- The World Privacy Forum filed comments with the FTC and other agencies
asking medical identity theft to be included in Red Flag guidelines.
(September 2006).
- The World Privacy Forum testified before AHIC on medical identity
theft in September 2006.
- The World Privacy Forum has developed detailed tips and downloadable
letters for victims of medical identity theft. (June 2006).
- The World Privacy Forum has issued the first in-depth report about
medical identity theft in May 2006. This is the first major report on
medical identity theft to be published.
- The World Privacy Forum has submitted agency comments to Health and
Human services to request changes to the HIPAA law to allow victims
of medical identity theft expanded rights in November 2005.
- The World Privacy Forum has testified about medical identity theft
before the National Committee on Vital And Health Statistics in August
2005. This is the first known public testimony about this crime.
- The World Privacy Forum submitted agency comments in December 2005
and asked the FTC to study medical identity theft more closely.
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