What to Do When Your Medical Information Has Been Hacked

Guest post by Patrick Bailey

Every person in the United States has medical records stored online as the healthcare industry moved to electronic medical records over the past two decades. Unfortunately, millions of electronic medical records are not properly secured and leave these records vulnerable to hacking attacks. These data breaches are caused by hackers infiltrating the computer network system of a medical provider office. Medical information, such as your medical history, billing information, or your personally identifiable information [PII], is then compromised or stolen to be sold on the Dark Web [the internet’s Black Market]. Cybercriminals are also looking for your health information to get medical treatment or drugs that you never requested to be covered by your medical insurance by impersonating you online with this stolen data.

According to the HIPPA Journal 2019 Healthcare Data Breach Report, “In 2019, the healthcare records of 12.55% of the population of the United States were exposed, impermissibly disclosed, or stolen.” If you or someone you know has been a victim of a healthcare data breach, you must take action to get your private health information back.

Signs to Look for in Medical Identity Theft

Before we talk about what action you must take, you must first learn the signs of medical identity theft. Some of the most obvious signs that you’re a victim of medical identity theft include:

• You receive unrecognizable medical collection notices on your credit report.
• You are informed by a debt collector about a medical debt you don’t owe.
• Your insurance gets denied because your medical records indicate a condition you don’t have.
• You receive unauthorized withdrawals or changes to your medical, insurance, or financial account.
• You received a bill or statement showing treatment for alcohol abuse rehab instead of a treatment for prescription drug abuse.

This is not an exhaustive list; there are other numerous signs you must watch for. Parents must also be aware of any unusual information concerning their young children on their medical or insurance accounts. However, if you have experienced any of these signs, here are some things you must do to retrieve your health identity.

Steps to Take If You’re a Victim of Medical Identity Theft

Nobody wants to see their private health information compromised. But if this were to happen to you, you must take action immediately to restore your identity. Here are the following steps to take:

• Contact every healthcare provider where your information was used to obtain copies of your medical records.
• Find out which information about you the hacker used to access medical care.
• Send all documented information about the theft to the medical billing departments and collection agencies involved.
• Request a copy of the accounting of disclosures from your health insurance and medical providers.
• Send a written request to your medical and insurance providers regarding the correction of your medical records.
• Report your case to the Federal Trade Commission.
• File a police report.
• Apply fraud alerts or credit freezes to your credit accounts.
• Record all communication during the troubleshooting process.
• Send all documents by certified mail.

Follow these steps to restore your private health information. Be sure to provide proof of your identity and documentation of your theft.

Avoid Being a Medical Identity Theft Victim Again

If you don’t want this unfortunate incident to happen to you again, you must take measures to protect yourself. Here are a few things you could do to avoid being a medical identity theft victim:

• Only disclose your personal information to legit
• Don’t reveal your medical or insurance information over the phone or email unless you contacted them first.
• Make it a habit to ask your health insurance provider for a record of the benefits paid in your name.
• File paper and electronic copies of your medical records.
• Shred any outdated documents.
• Don’t use your Social Security number on your records.

Follow these suggestions to protect yourself against health information hackers.

Don’t Put Yourself at Risk

Millions of Americans have had their private health information compromised for assorted reasons. However, you don’t have to be one of those people. By following these tips of taking decisive action to protect your health identity at all times, you will reduce your risk of being hacked.