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The consequences for this type of identity theft can be grave if personal health records containing inaccurate information are used by health care providers in providing treatment. The World Privacy Forum has called medical identity theft, "the information crime that can kill you."
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According to a 2008 ITRC survey, some of the reasons that medical identity theft is particularly damaging to victims include:
Affinion Security Center has developed IdentitySecure medical identity theft member benefits which directly address recommendations from the World Privacy Forum and the Federal Trade Commission. The new benefits include guidance and form letters that make it easy for members to take the necessary steps to detect possible medical identity theft. The benefits include an Explanation of Benefits Statement request form, a Medical Records request form and a Medical Information Bureau request form.
"The increasing shift toward online health records can lead to additional opportunities for tech-savvy criminals to steal a person's medical identity," said Thomas Rusin, president and CEO of Affinion Security Center. "There is no silver bullet for detecting medical identity theft, but with the enhancements we've added to IdentitySecure, members can feel confident that they are taking every available step to uncover possible fraud."
The new medical identity theft benefits supplement existing IdentitySecure benefits which help members detect various forms of identity theft, such as triple-bureau credit monitoring and public record monitoring. The benefits are designed to alert members to any unpaid medical bills in their name from hospitals, doctors or other health providers.
For more information about Affinion Security Center solutions, including IdentitySecure, please visit http://www.affinionsecuritycenter.com.
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About Affinion Security Center
Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Affinion Group, is a global leader in providing identity protection and data security solutions to corporations and individuals. For over 35 years Affinion Security Center has been powering many of the world's leading personal data protection and breach resolution solutions offered by local, national and multi-national enterprises in the financial, retail and travel industries. The company currently protects over 10 million subscribers with services including IdentitySecure, PrivacyGuard, PC SafetyPlus and Hotline, and serves enterprise and government agencies with the data breach preparation and response tool, BreachShield. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP). For more information please visit www.affinionsecuritycenter.com.
-- Roughly a third of victims of medical ID theft surveyed had someone else's medical information or medical history on their medical record, increasing the possibility of patients being treated incorrectly because of incorrect medical records. -- More than 10% of victims of medical ID theft surveyed were denied health or life insurance for unexplained reasons. -- More than two-thirds of victims surveyed receive a bill for medical services that were provided to an imposter.
SOURCE Affinion Security Center
