Medical identity theft is a serious and often overlooked form of identity theft that can have lasting consequences on your health, finances, and legal standing. Many Michigan residents are unaware that stolen personal information can be used to access medical care, alter health records, and create significant complications. Continue reading to discover how this crime can affect your medical records and consult with a Michigan identity theft lawyer today.
What is Medical Identity Theft?
Medical identity theft occurs when a person uses your personal identifying information, such as your name, Social Security number, or insurance information, to obtain medical services, prescription drugs, or to make false claims for healthcare reimbursement. It is a specific type of fraud that targets health-related data and systems.
This crime is different from general financial identity theft because the consequences are not just monetary. Instead, they also directly impact your health and medical history. The offender essentially steps into your shoes to interact with doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies.
For example, an uninsured individual might use your name and health insurance card to receive treatment in an emergency room. Another common scenario involves someone using your identity to obtain expensive prescription medication for resale or personal use. While the immediate financial burden might fall on your insurer, there are long-term concerns when it comes to your medical files. The fraudulent use of your information creates a false trail in the healthcare system, linking you to services or conditions you never received or had.
Can Identity Theft Affect My Medical Records?
Yes, medical identity theft can significantly affect your medical records, misrepresenting a dangerous picture of your health. When an offender uses your information, the services they receive, such as diagnoses, treatments, lab results, and prescriptions, are all incorrectly logged under your name.
This fraudulent activity results in inaccurate health data being incorrectly mixed with your genuine medical history, and may remain unless properly corrected. Imagine a scenario where the thief receives treatment for a serious allergy or a chronic condition you don’t have. If you later seek treatment, a physician relying on your altered records might administer the wrong medication, which could lead to serious medical errors like harmful reactions, or overlook a real condition because the records indicate prior, irrelevant treatment.
Medical identity theft can also lead to denial of insurance claims if the thief maxes out your benefits or if the records show conflicting information. You might also find yourself being aggressively pursued by collection agencies for bills incurred by the impostor. Besides the financial and health risks, the process of correcting false records is often complex, time-consuming, and emotionally draining, requiring you to legally prove which parts of your medical history are false. Consult with a Michigan identity theft lawyer for help navigating this challenging process today.
