Medical Identity Theft
Medical identity theft occurs when an individual or organization utilizes another's name or insurance information to obtain medical services, including treatment, prescription drugs, or surgery. Another instance occurs when medical staff utilizes one's information to submit falsified bills to insurance companies.
Indicators of Potential Identity Theft
Staff should watch out for the following indicators of potential identity theft:
- Patient reports receiving a bill for a service they didn’t receive
- Patient reports erroneous listings of office visits or treatments on their explanation of benefits
- Photograph on ID is inconsistent with the appearance of the patient
- Documents provided for identification appearing altered or forged
- Information on ID inconsistent with information provided by the patient
- Personal information inconsistent with information already on file
- Mail sent to patient repeatedly returned as undeliverable
If staff suspect identity theft has occurred, they should report immediately to clinic leadership or the Joint Office for Compliance. Contact for the Joint Office for Compliance is below:
Phone: 319-384-8282
Email: compliance@healthcare.uiowa.edu