Medical Identity Theft Is On The Increase – Have You Been Affected?

Medical identity theft is a sort of twist on the usual identity theft and is a fast growing crime in America. The Government is only too aware that this is happening and is putting measures into place to try and crack down on companies and individuals who indulge in this behavior. Under qui tam legislation, whistleblowers are encouraged to bring any such identity fraud to the attention of the government, and for their part in the proceedings they are eligible for a monetary award should the case be successfully proved. A team of qui tam lawyers explains:

Most people when they think of identity fraud tend to think that it relates purely to credit card fraud but the sad truth is that identity theft can, and is happening regularly, in the medical sector. As this article is being written, thieves could be using your name and your health insurance number in order to receive medical treatment, surgery and prescription drugs. Dishonest people in various health institutions could be using your information to submit false bills to schemes such as Medicare and Medicaid. Like credit card theft, medical identity theft can play havoc with your finances and take a toll on your health.

How would you know if your personal information had been stolen?

According to a team of qui tam attorneys, you could be a victim of medical identity theft if:

• a debt collector arrives on your doorstep to collect a medical debt which you know nothing about
• you order a copy of your credit report and on it are medical collection notices that you know nothing about and don't recognize
• you receive a bill for medical services which you didn't have
• you try to make a legitimate claim on your insurance plan, only to be told that you have reached your limit
• you're denied insurance because your medical records are showing a condition which you don't actually have

As you can see medical identity theft can alter the details on your medical and health insurance records. Every time a thief gets treatment using your identity, a new record is created which for example could include his blood type, tests that aren't yours, details of a medical condition that you don’t have and so forth. Any of these things could lead to you receiving the wrong treatment which in turn could lead to something bad happening like medical complications, injury and even worse.

If you have reason to believe that your medical identity has been stolen, then contact a qui tam lawyer. He will be able to investigate on your behalf and if indeed a substantial fraud is found to be taking place, then he can actively represent you. Not only may you be eligible for a substantial award should a fraud case be successful but you can play your part in making sure the fraudsters don't get away with disrupting anyone else's lives.

Justice can be seen to take effect

Qui tam lawyers have been working hard on a successful case which was reported in the early part of February 2012 concerning the owner of United DME Inc. Juan De Leon of Texas and the owner of United DME was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a healthcare and identity theft scheme and ordered to pay $750,000 back to Medicaid and Medicare. He was charged with conspiracy, healthcare fraud, and identity theft involving false billing to Medicare and Medicaid for several different medical items including diabetic supplies and power wheel chairs. For three years from 2007-2010 he ordered his employees to submit false claims for power wheelchairs that were not delivered and for diabetic supplies that again, never reached any patients. Instead patients were supplied with cheaper scooters that were difficult and almost impossible for them to use. De Leon and his staff also submitted claims for medical items pertaining to beneficiaries who had actually died. He also forged patients’ signatures and altered records in an attempt to cover up his tracks.

Remain vigilant

In order to prevent identity theft happening to you, qui tam lawyers advise you to guard your health insurance card as you would your credit card. Never divulge any information without verifying the source, and finally treat your trash carefully. Shred any documents relating to your medical details and it wouldn't be a bad idea to remove labels off bottles of pills before disposing of them too.