Medical Identity Theft

About medical identity theft, the World Privacy Forum medical identity theft report, and our key resources

The World Privacy Forum is the leading expert on medical ID theft. We published the first major report about medical identity theft in 2006 and brought this crime to the attention of the public for the first time. We maintain up-to-date information and tips for victims, as well as conduct and publish new research.

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.

Key World Privacy Forum Medical ID Theft Resources:

 

 

See the blog roll below for news and new content by date.

 

 

Briefing Paper – Responses to Medical Identity Theft: Eight best practices for helping victims of medical identity theft

Version 1: October 16, 2007   The World Privacy Forum, as part of its ongoing in-depth research into medical identity theft issues and responses, has outlined 8 best-practice responses to the crime by the health care sector. These best practices are based on interviews with victims, providers, and other stakeholders. These 8 best practices are

World Privacy Forum gives keynote speech to AHIMA on medical identity theft; outlines 8-point best-practice responses to the crime

Medical identity theft | AHIMA — Executive director Pam Dixon spoke to thousands of AHIMA delegates in Philadelphia sharing the latest information on medical identity theft and outlining 8 best practice responses to the crime for the health care sector. Dixon specifically asked for the creation of national guidelines for helping medical identity theft victims, the ability for victims to set red flag alerts in their health care files, that providers train and have dedicated personnel to help medical identity theft victims, “john and jane doe” file extractions, a focus on addressing insider access to patient information, risk assessments specifically for medical identity theft, and educational efforts. The information in the speech was based on the latest World Privacy Forum research in the area of medical identity theft.

World Privacy Forum outlines 8 best practice responses to medical identity theft for the healthcare sector

Medical identity theft | Best practice responses — The World Privacy Forum has outlined 8 best practice responses to medical identity theft for the health care sector. The best practice responses are based on research the Forum is conducting for its second report on medical identity theft, and is a work in progress. The 8 best practice responses were presented to AHIMA delegates October 9; the Forum is soliciting and accepting feedback on the 8 best practices.

Pam Dixon’s keynote speech on medical identity theft at the AHIMA National Convention

Medical identity theft is a crime that harms people and it is a crime that hides itself. This combination makes medical identity theft an insidious crime. It can cause extraordinary damages and harms to its individual and institutional victims. And once begun, the harmful effects of this crime can linger in the lives of its victims for years or even decades.

President’s Identity Theft Task Force: World Privacy Forum requests that medical identity theft be added to task force agenda

Identity Theft — The World Privacy Forum filed comments and recommendations with the President’s Identity Theft Task Force. The task force’s draft report and recommendations did not include or contemplate medical identity theft solutions for victims; the WPF has requested and recommended that this be corrected. Medical identity theft victims need more help, more recourse, and agency attention.