Medical Identity Theft Is More Common Than You Think

When you imagine of identity theft, you in all likelihood imagine of someone impersonating you to get into your bank account. But there's another type of identity theft that can be just as devastating - medical identity theft. This type isn't as better-known but it's every bit as abominable as a financial theft.

This crime is committed by somebody using your personal information and insurance policy to get medical services for themselves. Perhaps they have a serious and ongoing medical condition like diabetes that needs continuous care. Using your information and pretending to be you, they can get the care they need for almost free.

The cost to you is that now you'll have pseudo info in your medical records. This info is stored in a central location called the Medical Information Bureau or MIB. Now any time you're treated by a doctor, they will have false information to go on that could lead to a wrong diagnosis or treatment for you.

You could be responsible financially for whatever your deductible or out of pocket expenses are on your insurance policy. You could also become uninsurable for life insurance or an individual health insurance policy because of 'pre-existing conditions' that you've never been treated for.

You can get a free copy of your MIB every year much like getting a free credit report. It's a good idea to check out what's on it so that you'll always receive the correct medical care. An identity theft protection plan like LifeLock or TrustedID offer help with this type of theft. You can get these plans for a discount by using a LifeLock promo code or a TrustedID promo code.

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