Protecting Medical Identity

Although it is difficult to protect against sloppy practices by Insurance companies and medical provides, one should follow the good practices listed below:
http://www.mib.com/medical_identity.html 

It is prudent to take preventive measures that should decrease the chance of being victimized:

• Safeguard your health plan membership card like it is a credit card
• Insist that your healthcare providers check your ID when they request your health plan card and request they do the same for all their patients. By verifying your credentials, healthcare providers can ensure that imposters are not able to seek treatment, buy prescription drugs, or make false claims for medical services using your benefits.
• Monitor inaccuracies in your "Explanation of Benefits" statements from your health plan and report any discrepancies.
• Beware of "free" services, especially if you are asked to provide your insurance ID number.
• Regularly review your medical records to ensure accurate treatment data, and pay close attention when a healthcare provider reviews your medical history with you.
• Acquire free annual credit reports to check for fraudulent medical debts and other inaccuracies.