Guard Your Health Insurance Card

[Donnachaidh]

http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/guard-your-health-insurance-card/?ref=your-money

You may want to make sure you know where your health insurance card is.

According to a new study, the 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report, from the research company Javelin Strategy & Research, 7 percent of identity fraud victims this year reported identity thieves stole their health insurance information, up from just 3 percent last year.

So even though the actual total dollar amount of health care identity fraud didn’t increase meaningfully from 2008 to 2009, James Van Dyke, the president and founder of Javelin, said he expected to see more incidences of health insurance identity fraud showing up in next year’s study and beyond. “We’re seeing more criminal access to private medical records in our survey now, and therefore, we expect to see resulting increases in health care fraud in future years’ studies,” Mr. Van Dyke said.

Such health insurance identity theft occurs when someone impersonates someone else at a hospital or doctor’s office — using a stolen health insurance card or account number or even just personal information like a Social Security number or driver’s license – to get health care coverage for surgery or other treatment. People often learn they are victims of such fraud when they get a medical bill or a notice about what will be covered from their health insurance company.


more at the link above --

[virgogal]

1. Oh man,that is something that never occurred to me. Thanks for the post.

[Donnachaidh]

2. I was stunned when I read this too.

What's next?

[A-Long-Little-Doggie]

3. In my Medical Admin classes

they told us we should always get a picture ID in addition to the insurance card. The medical office will not be able to get payment from the insurance company once the fraud is discovered, and will be out the cost of any fees for the appointment. The fraudsters also use fake telephone numbers on the patient information forms so there is no way to track them down.

[prolesunited]

4. Any office I've gone to as a new patient

they make me provide both the card and driver's license for them to photocopy.