medical fraud protection

10 Warning Signs of Medical Fraud and How to Protect Yourself

Health insurance is meant to provide access to essential treatments and care, but unfortunately, it’s also become a target for scammers. In February, Change Healthcare suffered a cyberattack, potentially exposing around 50% of all U.S. medical claims to identity theft. The consequences of such fraud can be devastating, from financial loss to denied access to health care services.

How Medical Fraud Impacts Individuals

Medical fraud can affect anyone, and it often goes unnoticed until it's too late. For instance, some people discover they’ve been victims when they’re denied coverage for necessary procedures, only to find their medical identity has been stolen and used for other treatments. Others face issues like tax fraud or mortgage fraud due to the misuse of their medical information.

It’s not just individuals at risk. Organizations can also exploit your medical information in fake billing schemes, submitting false claims for services you never received. In July, 193 defendants, including doctors and medical professionals, were charged for participating in health care fraud schemes totaling $2.75 billion in false billings.

For expert guidance on safeguarding your health information, click here to schedule a discovery call with Lazer IT Consultants.

10 Signs You May Be a Victim of Medical ID Fraud

  1. Unexpected Medical Bills: Receiving bills for services you didn’t receive is a red flag.
  2. Collection Notices: Debt collectors contacting you for unpaid medical bills that aren’t yours.
  3. Errors in Medical Records: Finding inaccurate treatments or unfamiliar diagnoses in your records.
  4. Insurance Denials: Claims being denied due to maxed-out benefits, despite not using them.
  5. Alerts from Your Insurance Provider: Notifications about claims or services you don’t recognize.
  6. Unknown Accounts: Discovering new health insurance accounts under your name.
  7. Discrepancies in Your Explanation of Benefits (EOB): Statements showing services you didn’t receive.
  8. Difficulty Obtaining Insurance: Being denied insurance due to conditions listed in your records that you don’t have.
  9. Calls from Medical Providers: Contact from doctors regarding treatments or appointments you never had.
  10. Unfamiliar Prescriptions: Notifications about prescriptions filled in your name that you didn’t authorize.

How to Prevent Becoming a Victim of Medical ID Fraud

Protecting yourself from medical identity theft requires vigilance and proactive measures. Here are steps you can take to safeguard your health information:

1. Check for Health Care Breaches

Use a searchable database to see if your health care information has been compromised.

2. Secure Your Records

Store paper copies of medical records in a safe or lockbox. If your provider's system is breached, having your own records will be invaluable.

3. Shred Documents

Shred any documents with personal information before disposing of them to prevent unauthorized access.

4. Monitor Your Medical Records

Regularly request and review your medical records to identify unfamiliar treatments or diagnoses.

5. Review Insurance Bills

Carefully review your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) and insurance bills for unfamiliar services. Report any errors to your insurer and the credit bureaus through IdentityTheft.gov.

6. Dispose of Prescription Labels

Remove labels from empty prescription bottles before discarding them to protect against identity theft.

7. Monitor Your Credit

At AnnualCreditReport.com, you can obtain three free credit reports each year to monitor any suspicious activity.

Health Care Will Always Be a Target for Hackers

As health care services become more reliant on technology, they will continue to be a prime target for hackers. Attacks on hospitals, doctors’ offices, and medical facilities will persist, so it’s crucial to take steps to protect yourself.

We can help you assess your risk with a FREE Dark Web Scan. This scan will determine if your information has been compromised and put up for sale on the dark web or if you’ve been a victim of a data breach.

Conclusion

Medical fraud can have serious consequences, from financial loss to losing access to vital health care services. By staying vigilant and following best practices to protect your medical ID, you can minimize the risk of falling victim to these attacks.

To learn more about how ransomware protection services from Lazer IT Consultants can help secure your data, contact us today.