Stolen Medical Records can Haunt Victims for Life

Victims of detailed medical records theft will need fraud alert protection for the rest of their lives, says an identity theft security expert.

“Monitoring is reactive,” Robert Siciliano, chief executive of IDTheftSecurity.com, told insideARM.com. He said medical theft records, such as the stolen files belonging to a Utah hospital (“Medical Records of 2.2 Million Stolen in Utah,” June 11), provide a treasure throve of opportunities for ID thieves.

Siciliano works with corporations and associations to mitigate risks associated with their clients’ personal information. If free credit monitoring is offered it should be accepted because it helps, he said. But it’s not enough to protect those people whose Social Security numbers and insurance information have been stolen.

“The information is out there and it could end up anywhere,” and used at any time, Siciliano said. He recommends victims get fraud alert help that will notify them before an account is opened using their name or number.

Siciliano said thieves typically steal medical identification information to open new credit accounts. But with health care costs rising, medical record crooks have also used the victim’s health insurance information to obtain pharmaceuticals, surgery and ongoing health care. That could lead to identity theft victims being billed for medical care they never received.

“More women are checking into hospitals under an assumed identity and giving birth because they have no insurance,” Siciliano said.