What is medical identity theft? Sounds scary, right?! It is!!!
Medical identity theft is when your important info is used by someone else to get health insurance, health care services or procedures… YIKES! The Insurance Mom knows you’re one of a kind. BUT the bad guys can steal your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and sell it or use it to impersonate you.
So what can you do to protect your precious self? Follow these simple Mom-Approved steps:
- Secure your medical insurance and records online and off.
- Limit who you share your info with and do not share info online unless you KNOW it is secure (i.e., a hospital or doctor’s online portal).
- Quickly review ALL medical statements you receive… Don’t dilly-dally!
What to look out for:
If you get a collection notice for unknown medical services or if there are items on your insurance company’s Explanation Of Benefits that you don’t recognize. The EOB describes what services your doctor submitted to your insurance company for payment.
Another sign of medical identity theft may be an error on the EOB from your insurance company. Check to make sure your name, address, insurance policy, date of the office visit, and services or procedures listed are correct as soon as that EOB is in your hands!
Be your own best advocate!
