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Hello, and welcome to the New York Senior Information Line sponsored by the New York State Department of State Division of Consumer Protection, the State Office for the Aging and the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale. Each month, we bring you news you can use to be a smart senior in your everyday life. And remember, the information you hear on this phone line - - and more - - is also available online at www.nysconsumer.gov.
Medical identity theft is a crime involving the theft of your insurance ID, Medicare or Social Security number and the use of this information to obtain treatment, equipment or drugs under your name. Larger cases may involve health insurance fraud and bogus payouts.
This crime can result in victims receiving improper treatment because their medical records contain inaccurate information. Victims of medical identity theft may find that their health insurance is exhausted. They are often billed for services they didn't receive. Victims may not learn of these bills until they receive debt collection notices, or see unpaid charges listed on their credit report. Medical identity theft can ruin a victim's credit and expose the victim to potential legal liability. In addition, medical identity theft often results in a decrease in privacy and the loss of time and added expense to clear one's record.
Evidence shows that medical identity theft is increasing. According to a recent study, approximately 5.8% of American adults - - or an estimated 1.42 million people - - have been victimized by medical identity theft. The average cost per victim is more than $20,000, which includes out-of-pocket payments to a health insurer to restore coverage.
Here are some tips to help reduce the threat of medical identity theft, detect when your medical identity has been stolen, and recover if you become a victim.
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure -- Don't Wait for Symptoms to appear!
- Avoid carrying your Social Security, Medicare or insurance card in your wallet unless necessary.
- Be cautious when disclosing personally identifying and health information, especially online.
- Don't fall for offers of free health services or products in exchange for divulging your Social Security number, Medicare number or insurance code.
- Do not share health-related information, including your Medicare or Social Security card.
- Check the Explanation of Benefits statement from your insurer and question discrepancies.
- Keep health insurance and medical documents secure.
- Shred old health insurance and medical documents before disposing them.
- Destroy prescription labels on your medicine bottles when finished with the medicine.
- Obtain a listing of the benefits your insurer has paid under your name on an annual basis.
- Order a free, no strings attached copy of your credit report from www.AnnualCreditReport.Com, or by phone, to check for any medical debts that are not yours.
Fighting Back - - What to do if you're a victim
- Obtain a copy of your medical records to check for inaccuracies. Generally, under federal and State law, you have a right to access your medical records for a reasonable fee.
- Request the removal of inaccurate information, an amendment to any altered medical records or the submission of a statement that you disagree with the information and the reasons.
- Obtain an accounting of medical record disclosures made by your health care provider.
- File a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services if you encounter a problem accessing or amending your health records.
- File a police report and send a copy to your health care providers, insurers and the three credit reporting agencies.
- Lodge a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
- Consider placing a Fraud Alert and/or a Security Freeze on your credit reports.
For more information about medical ID theft, contact information for the government agencies mentioned, and instructions on how to obtain your free credit report, call the New York State Department of State Division of Consumer Protection at 1-877-697-1220 or visit www.nysconsumer.gov.
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