Plan For Your Health | Life and Disability | Flexible Spending Accounts | Medical Identity | Aetna Student Health

Hold on tight to your insurance card! Medical identity theft is a growing problem in the United States - and experts estimate that about 500,000 people have been victimized by medical identity theft.¹

Having your medical identity assumed by someone else can also cost you time, aggravation and credit problems. It can even affect your health since someone else's medical information is now a part of your record.

So what exactly is medical identity theft, and how can you make sure it doesn't happen to you? Find the answers here.

The little-known crime with big implications
In short, medical identity fraud happens when someone uses your name or personal information without your knowledge to get medical care or supplies, prescriptions, fraudulent insurance payouts…even major surgery.

It's similar to the crime of credit card theft, but the consequences can be much bigger than financial. First, because these thieves often have the insurer bills diverted to another address, you may not even realize you're sitting on unpaid bills until you start getting collection calls, or it appears on your credit report. And those incorrect entries can prevent you from getting insurance, disqualify you for some jobs…even affect your health.

Imagine these scenarios:

• The pharmacy refuses to fill a prescription for you because it is harmful if taken with a drug "you" are already taking.
• You're denied coverage for claims because your insurer shows that "you" have reached your lifetime maximum.

As you can see, a periodic review of your credit and medical history is 100 percent necessary to safeguard your identity.

Top tips for protecting your medical identity
Here are some top tips for safeguarding your medical identity from experts* in the field:

• Treat your insurance card like a credit card with a sky-high spending limit. Your ID card could be used to get medical services or drugs that remain on your medical record permanently. So if it's missing, lost or stolen, notify your insurance company immediately.



• Don't give your insurance number to telephone marketers, door-to-door solicitors, or in response to an unsolicited e-mail. Be careful even if the person calling or writing claims to be from someone at your insurance company. For example, Aetna might call you about an issue and ask you to verify your date of birth or your Aetna member ID number. However, it would never call to ask you for your Social Security number or banking information.



• If you visit a free clinic, make sure it's free. Don't show your medical ID card for any reason.



• Don't just throw away the mail, shred it. And not just health care or insurance information: junk mail should be shredded, too.



• Restrict access to your ID. If someone asks for your license, medical card or Social Security number, question them before releasing the information too readily.



• Carefully review your mailed Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements or online insurance claims - even if marked “This is not a bill.” Specifically, watch out for incorrect group or identity numbers, provider offices or hospitals you don't recognize, visits on dates you did not receive care, or prescriptions you did not fill. If you see claims for care or medications you did not receive, call your insurance company immediately and ask them to investigate the claim.



• Check your credit report regularly. No, that's not a misprint. Identity thieves could be racking up medical bills in your name and having the bills mailed to a false address. You could be on a collection agency's wanted list - without even knowing it.

How could someone even get my personal information?
Some experts report that a lot of identity theft comes from desperate individuals who either are uninsured or underinsured.² And while the majority of health care professionals are honest individuals, the World Privacy Forum reports that a good amount of fraud occurs within the caregiver's office - from nurses, receptionists, pharmacists and doctors - who have ready access to personal health information.³