If you thought identity theft could only lead to financial problems, time to think again.
Fast-Growing Medical Identity Theft Has Lethal Consequences
From a Boston psychiatrist who submitted false bills to insurance companies, marring the medical records of several patients, to a Florida woman who found an imposter had led a hospital to record a false blood type causing a potentially fatal error, experts say medical identity theft is becoming more pervasive.
The shocking real-life examples come from a report called “Medical Identity Theft: The Information Crime That Can Kill You,” from the San Diego-based World Privacy Forum, a nonprofit group.
False conditions on medical records can ruin prospects for a new job, as more than a third of Fortune 500 companies review medical records when hiring, according to the Austin, Texas-based Patient Privacy Rights Foundation.
Erroneous information gets re-reported from hospitals and doctors’ offices to insurers, collection agencies and credit bureaus.
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