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If you're like most people, you're probably familiar with identity theft. In fact, you may have already been a victim or know someone that has. What you may not be as aware of is medical identity theft. According to current researchers, over 255,000 cases are reported every single year. With this in mind, law enforcement agencies and media sources are starting to take it more seriously and are engaging in collaborative efforts to inform potential victims. In this brief article, we'll discuss medical identity theft and give you tips on how to protect yourself.

First of all, you should understand that it differs quite differently from identity theft. For instance, with identity theft, your financial information is stolen however with medical identity theft, your medical history is stolen. That is, with medical identity theft, someone uses your name or insurance information in order to obtain medical goods or services. Here are some examples:

a. A physician that falsifies your records indicating that he received a certain medical treatment although you did not. Your insurance company is then billed.

b. Someone uses your identity to obtain an expensive medical surgical procedure because they don't have their own medical coverage.

c. A medical professional calls in a prescription for you but picks it up and uses it or sells it to someone else.

d. Someone uses the information in your medical files to obtain credit.

Here are some tips that you can use to help you avoid medical identity theft:

1. Check your credit report on a quarterly basis or subscribe to a credit monitoring service.

2. Make sure that you read all your mail and check any insurance claims immediately. If you notice any discrepancies then you should contact your insurance company right away.

3. If you believe that your medical identity has been compromised, you should seek the help of a qualified legal professional to assist you.

4. If you're ever denied employment or credit, see if you can determine why you were denied. You might have been denied based on something in your credit report.

5. Don't ignore collection calls. If someone says that you owe them for medical bills, follow up to see if you really owe them or if you've been a victim of medical identity theft.

6. Evaluate your medical charts. Make sure that your correct blood type, allergies, etc. are listed. If the wrong information is listed, you may be a victim of medical identity theft.

In conclusion, medical identity theft is a serious situation that cannot be ignored. The key to protecting yourself is being aware of the possibilities and doing what you can to protect yourself. If you find some discrepancies, make sure that you check them out right away. Your medical history and future must be protected.