Medical Identity Theft - Taken To a New Level

Medical identity theft affected more than 300,000 people in the last year. It accounts for 3 percent of identity theft crimes of the estimated 8.3 million people who had their identities stolen in the last year. Government and private health care organizations say that Medical Identity Theft is on the rise, costing victims their credit and their medical benefits.

Identity thieves are not only interested in tapping into your financial resources, but also after your medical identification data and services. Medical ID thieves often get your personal information, such as your health-insurance number and Social Security number, and use it to commit medical Identity Theft.

Medical identity thieves are taking Medical Identity Theft to a dangerous new level. They may change your medical and health insurance records. Every time a thief uses your identity to get medical care, your medical information is changed, and more of your benefits are used.

Seniors are being targeted by identity thieves because they have more medical problems. Their information is being used to get prescription drugs. Prescriptions are being stolen and used to abuse drugs. Oxicontin is one of the drugs that is being abused. Pharmacies are not requiring identification when prescriptions are being picked up, so anyone can pick up YOUR medicine. This includes drug abusers and addicts.

One thing that you as a pharmacy customer can do to protect your account is to have your account flagged so that identification is required when a prescription is picked up in your name.

For more information on Medical Identity Theft, go to http://www.margiewrobinson.com. and look for my book, “Are You “YOU” or Is Someone Else “YOU” - Protect Yourself From Identity Theft