Medical Identity Theft

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It was a normal day at the Intern site, until a specific individual walked through the door. The client walked up to the front desk and stated that he has a new insurance card for me to copy. Rhonda Spence, the Office Manager gave him a look as if something was wrong. She leaves the office and states to the therapist that the client is using an insurance card that is not his. The therapist takes the client back to his office and informs him that he is suspected of identity theft. The client does not have health insurance, but his twin brother does. He was using his twin brother’s insurance card to receive behavioral health services. The twin brother is not aware of the situation. The client recognized the consequences of his actions. The law enforcement officials were called and he was arrested. The fraud investigators discovered that the individual has been receiving health care services at several different clinics with thousands of dollars in outstanding medical bills. Currently, he is being charged with medical identity theft and if found guilty he can be sentenced up to fifteen years of imprisonment, a fine, and pay restitution. As for the victim, more than likely he will not be responsible for paying the bills that the thief created. However, he will be left with a precarious credit situation, and he will deal with the emotional stress of regaining his good name. Medical identity theft is becoming a growing problem in the community. It is not only the fastest growing crime in the United States, but also the leading consumer fraud complaint in the country. There are several ways that identity theft is committed around the world. Identity thieves may target one individual or acquire personal information from thousands ... ... middle of paper ... ...rtler, Eric J. Prying Eyes. New York: Random House Reference, 2004, Print. Hansen, Michelle. Identity Theft. New York: Marshall Staeser, 2010. Print. Larkin, Eric. (2009). Medical Identity Theft. PC World. Vol. 27(issue 8), p49-49. Mancilla, Desla and Moczygemba, Jackie. “Exploring Medical Identity Theft”. Perspectives in Health Information Management. N.p. N.d. Retrieved on February 6, 2012 from http://perspectives.ahima.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=163&Itemid=56 Spence, Charles. Personal interview. 3 February 2012. Spence, Rhonda. Personal interview. 2 February 2012. The Red Flags Rule. American medical Association. N.p.N.d. Web. Retrieved on February 7, 2012 from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/practice-management-center/practice-operations/compliance-risk-management/identity-theft/patient-issues/red-flags-rule.page

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