Health insurance is meant to give us access to necessary treatments, preventive services, and emergency care. However, it’s increasingly becoming a payday for scammers. In February, Change Healthcare fell victim to a cyber-attack, affecting thousands of healthcare providers, insurers, and policyholders across the nation. It’s estimated that around 50% of all U.S. medical claims could be at risk. That means if you’re sitting in a waiting room with nine others, there’s a good chance that five of you could become victims of medical identity theft within the year.

The fallout from this kind of fraud is devastating. Once your medical information is exposed online, identity thieves can use it to file false claims, purchase expensive prescriptions, and more—all billed to your account.

The most distressing part? Many people only discover they’ve been affected when they receive tax or mortgage fraud notifications or get a rejection letter from their insurance provider for a procedure they never had. Imagine going to the doctor expecting to schedule surgery, only to find out that your benefits have been maxed out because someone else used your medical ID for their own treatments.

But it’s not just individuals who are at risk. Fraudulent organizations can manipulate your medical information for fake billing schemes. They submit false claims for services you never received, cash in, and leave you with the bill. In July, 193 defendants, including doctors and other medical professionals, were charged in connection with health care fraud schemes totaling $2.75 billion in false billings to federal programs. Medical fraud is a serious issue.

How to Tell If You’re a Victim

Here are 10 signs your medical ID may have been stolen and is being used by cybercriminals:

  1. Unexpected Medical Bills: Receiving bills for services you didn’t receive.
  2. Collection Notices: Being contacted by debt collectors for unpaid medical bills that aren’t yours.
  3. Errors in Medical Records: Finding treatments, diagnoses, or medical histories in your records that are unfamiliar to you.
  4. Insurance Issues: Health insurance claims are denied because your benefits have been maxed out, even though you haven’t used them.
  5. Notifications from Your Insurance Provider: Receiving alerts about claims or services you don’t recognize.
  6. Unknown Accounts: Discovering new health insurance accounts or medical records under your name that you didn’t create.
  7. Discrepancies in Your Explanation of Benefits (EOB): Your EOB statements list services you didn’t receive.
  8. Being Denied Insurance: Difficulty obtaining life or health insurance due to medical conditions you don’t have being listed in your records.
  9. Calls from Medical Providers: Receiving calls about appointments or follow-ups for treatments you never had.
  10. Unfamiliar Prescriptions: Notices about prescriptions being filled in your name that you did not authorize or receive.

How to Protect Yourself from Medical ID Fraud

Don’t wait to become the next victim of medical ID theft. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:

  • Check for Health Care Breaches: Use a searchable database to see if your health care information has been compromised.
  • Secure Your Records: Store paper copies of medical records in a safe or lockbox. If your healthcare provider’s system is compromised, you’ll be glad you did.
  • Shred Documents: Always shred documents containing personal information before discarding them.
  • Monitor Your Medical Records: Regularly review your medical records for any unfamiliar treatments, diagnoses, or other discrepancies.
  • Review Insurance Bills: Scrutinize your explanation of benefits (EOB) statements for services you did not receive. If you see anything suspicious, contact your insurer immediately and report any billing errors to the credit bureaus.
  • Dispose of Prescription Labels: Remove labels from empty prescription bottles before discarding them; they can be used to steal your identity.
  • Monitor Your Credit: Use AnnualCreditReport.com to get three free credit reports each year and keep an eye on any suspicious activity.

Healthcare will always be around, and unfortunately, so will those who try to exploit it. Attacks on hospitals, doctors’ offices, and other medical facilities will continue. It’s essential to take proactive steps to protect yourself.

We’re here to help. Start by finding out if your information has been compromised with our FREE Dark Web Scan. With this technology, we can quickly determine if your information has been put up for sale on the dark web or if you’ve been a victim of a data breach.

To book your Dark Web Scan, call us at 843-418-4792 or go to: https://www.spartantec.com/darkweb/.