Medical identity theft

Medical identity theft is defined as the use of stolen patient medical and financial information to receive medical services or submit fraudulent medical claims.1,2 In 2009, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reported more 300,000 victims of medical identity theft.

There are two categories of medical identity theft. The first category is the use of personal medical information for the purpose of receiving unauthorized medical services and goods. The second category is the use of stolen personal information to obtain money through fraudulent medical claims.1

This type of identity theft is particularly more damaging than financial identity theft because it can potentially lead to misdiagnosis, unnecessary treatments, incorrect prescription of medication that can lead to death and it can affect legitimate insurance claims.1

With the prevalence of electronic health records (EHR), its accessibility, ease of duplication and the advance of information technology, the risk of medical identity theft is much greater and more common.1,2

1. Rinehart-Thompson, Laurie A. "Raising Awareness of Medical Identity Theft: For Consumers, Prevention Starts with Guarding, Monitoring Health Information" Journal of AHIMA 79, no.10 (October 2008): 74-75, 81.

2. Terry M. Medical identity theft and telemedicine security. Telemed J E Health. 2009 Dec;15(10):928-32.

3. AHIMA e-HIM Work Group on Medical Identity Theft. "Mitigating Medical Identity Theft." Journal of AHIMA 79, no.7 (July 2008): 63-69.