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MEDICAL IDENTITY THEFT
Has the transition to electronic health records by health care providers caused an
increase in medical identity theft?
MARCH 20, 2017
TECHNICAL REPORTING- BILL EBBESEN
Sharon Nemecek
Memo of Transmittal:
To: William Ebbesen
From: Sharon Nemecek
Date: March 6, 2017
Subject: Recommendation Report for the study on the rise of medical identity theft
Enclosed is the report you requested on “Has the transition to electronic health records by health
care providers caused an increase in medical identity theft?”, for Technical Reporting class. This
report covers how medical identity theft is done and why it is done, whether there has been a rise
in medical identity theft, what measures medical facilities should take to prevent medical identity
theft, and what measures patients should take to protect their medical identity. However, the
report does not cover commercial identity theft or credit card fraud.
The report includes information about reasons why thieves steal someone’s medical identity and
the ways they are able to do so. The report also goes into how transitioning to electronic health
records has increased medical identity theft, and how this affects medical facilities and patients.
This report analyzes ways people find out how their identity has been stolen and the types of
medical identity theft. It also shows the increase in medical identity theft.
In order to complete this report I was able to get much needed assistance from the Teaching and
Learning center at Fox Valley Technical College. As a result, my paper included all the
requirements needed to complete the assignment.
I appreciate the confidence you have shown in me in assigning this project. Please contact me
with any questions regarding the areas covered. My phone number is (920)733-9228 and my e-
mail address is nemecek0613@fvtc.edu.
1
Table of Contents
Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ 2
Introduction:.................................................................................................................................... 4
Background of Feasibility Issue:................................................................................................. 4
Purpose of the Report.................................................................................................................. 4
Scope of the Report..................................................................................................................... 4
Sources of the Report .................................................................................................................. 5
Discussion of Findings.................................................................................................................... 6
How is Medical Identity Theft Done and Why is it Done?......................................................... 6
Has There Been an Increase in Medical Identity Theft? ............................................................. 7
What measures are taken by medical facilities to prevent medical identity theft? ..................... 9
What measures should patients take to protect themselves from medical identity theft?......... 11
Factual Summary / Conclusions: .................................................................................................. 14
Recommendations:........................................................................................................................ 16
References..................................................................................................................................... 18
2
Executive Summary
To determine if medical identity theft has been on the rise since the implementation of electronic
health records, instructor Bill Ebbesen requested a study be done to determine if this is true. I
researched information from several reliable sites which included scholarly journals, textbooks,
internet, and videos to assess information about medical identity theft, and will present my
findings and recommendations.
Several reasons were stated in the documentation why thieves would steal someone’s medical
identity. One of the reasons was to receive medical care for themselves because they were not
able to afford their own. They may want access to prescriptions for themselves or sell them to
make money. Supplies can also be obtained and re-sold. Many times, the stealing of medical
identity is for profit and the people who commit this crime are very good at accessing patient
information by hacking into someone’s medical records. All they need is some personal
information about the patient such as a social security number. Employees who are careless with
protecting electronic devices or not following guidelines could allow hackers access to their
databases. Information can be hacked into and sold.
To carry out this study, information was obtained from research reports from the Poneman
Institute that noted a rise in medical identity theft after the push to go to electronic medical
records. Todd Feinman, who is a security expert, was interviewed for an article for “Obesity
Fitness & Wellness Week”. He felt that going to electronic health records has escalated medical
identity theft. The Identity Theft Resource Center stated that medical identity theft has risen at a
larger pace than other businesses.
Since medical identity theft has escalated, medical facilities need to be proactive in protecting
themselves and their patients. Several sites outlined ways that facilities can do this by protecting
electronic devices and computers. Making sure all electronic devices and computers are locked
and password protected, by verifying patient’s information when they come to their facility,
doing a complete background check on new employees, and thoroughly training all employees to
make sure they are knowledgeable about all guidelines, will help to prevent medical identity
theft.
3
The study also determined that patients should be made aware of how medical identity theft
could affect them. A patient can do things to help prevent this from happening to them. They
should always check their bills to make sure an unusual charge is not showing, they should not
share personal information especially over the phone, and insurance cards and other personal
identification should be kept in a safe place. It is important for patients to go onto their account
to look for discrepancies or ask for a copy of their medical records to verify everything is correct.
Patients should also be aware that allowing someone they know to use their medical identity to
receive service is a crime.
4
Introduction:
To determine if medical identity theft has been increasing since the implementation of electronic
health records, instructor Bill Ebbesen requested a feasibility report to address this issue.
Background of Feasibility Issue:
With the cost of medical care always rising, and with medical facilities transitioning to electronic
health records, medical identity theft also has been on the rise. Transferring to electronic health
records by medical facilities since the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” and
the “Affordable Care Act in 2010”, there has been an increase in breaches electronically of
patients’ personal information. The stealing of medical identity and selling the information tends
to be very profitable for thieves. A patient’s medical record contains a great deal of personal
information including credit card numbers from health savings accounts. Employee errors are a
big reason for medical identity theft. The main cause of medical identity theft is from hacking
into a patient’s account. Medical identity theft has increased significantly in the last several
years. Medical facilities need to put measures in place and have thorough training of all staff to
help prevent patients’ information from being stolen. Patients should also be made aware of what
could happen, and the measures they need to take to protect themselves.
Purpose of the Report
Since all medical facilities will need to transfer to electronic health records, this has motivated
thieves to find ways to access the information. The purpose of this proposal is to analyze why
medical identity theft is being done and how it is being done. The goal is to set up a plan and
have procedures in place to guard against medical identity theft.
Scope of the Report
This proposal describes how medical identity theft is done and why it is done. It also discusses
the increase in medical identity theft and how it relates to the transition to electronic health
records. The measures that facilities use to prevent medical identity theft is also addressed in this
report as well as what patients can do to protect themselves. However, the report does not cover
commercial identity theft or credit card fraud.
5
Sources of the Report
The sources used for compiling this report included library based journals and articles. Internet
magazine articles were also useful. I utilized two video sources as well. The majority of the
information was gained from secondary sources. The reason these resources were used was
because of the large amount of information available. I did not include first-hand opinions
because I felt they could be biased.
6
Discussion of Findings
How is Medical Identity Theft Done and Why is it Done?
According to Kieke (2009), “Medical identity theft is the inappropriate or unauthorized
misrepresentation of individually identifiable health information for the purpose of obtaining
access to property or services, which may result in long-lasting harm to an individual interacting
with the health care continuum” (p. 51).
Some reasons why someone’s identity is stolen are: a person wants to receive health insurance
benefits for themselves using another person’s information, an employee of a medical facility
gets paid for selling the information, or by people who are trying to obtain drugs for themselves
or to sell them for profit (Kieke, 2009).
Harry B. Rhodes, who is director of Practice Leadership for the American Health Information
Management Association (AHIMA), asserted that “These people are very quick about it” when
he discussed medical information being stolen. He talks about how after the information is taken,
a large amount of false claims are submitted using the identity of the person who’s information
was stolen. Many times, the medical identity information is sold (Kieke, 2009, p. 52).
According to McNeal (2014), thieves who steal medical records are able to have entrance into all
the patient’s pertinent information including access codes and safety questions that are on file.
Gaining access to a social security number could allow the thieves to make costly purchases in
the patient’s name. Criminals who hack into medical accounts are able to receive more money
selling health insurance information than what is received from the sale of credit cards. It is not
uncommon for thieves to obtain services for medical procedures, medical equipment, and
prescriptions using someone else’s identity (p. 20).
Employees who do not follow correct procedures are one of the main reasons for medical
identity theft. Three quarters of medical facilities have determined that the carelessness of
employees is the reason their data is hacked. Human error is a big part of the problem. Electronic
devices need to be secured and password protected. If someone is careless, a patient’s personal
information could be accessed even though the security system for the network and computers is
secure (McNeal, 2014).
7
Below figure 1 shows the main types of medical identity theft and the corresponding percentage
per type. The percentage shows from 2007 through 2014, but for “employee negligence”, the
data was only compiled for years from 2012 through 2014 (Identity Theft Resource Center,
2015).
Types ofMedical Identity Breaches % from 2007-2014
Hacking 21.7%
Data on the Move 15.9%
InsiderTheft 12%
Accidental Exposure 12%
Subcontractor/ Third Party 11.2%
Employee Negligence 9.5 ( for yearsfrom 2012-2014)
Figure 1 (Identity Theft Resource Center, 2015)
Has There Been an Increase in Medical Identity Theft?
An academic article states that “medical identity theft spiked 22 percent in 2014. Medical
identity theft is projected to continue to rise. Actions need to be taken by medical facilities to
safeguard themselves. The article noted a need for cyber liability insurance for medical providers
to cover damages if their systems are hacked (Medical ID Theft Increases, 2015).
According to an article from Obesity Fitness & Wellness Week, Todd Feinman, who is a security
expert, felt the movement to electronic records will cause a greater chance of medical identity
theft because many providers are not taking the needed precautions (Obama’s Support, 2009).
“Why Medical Identity Theft is Rising and How to Protect Yourself”, referred to information
from the Identity Theft Resource Center which determined that medical identity theft has risen
higher than other businesses. Medical records contain important personal information including
credit card and social security numbers. Computer generated attacks have been focusing on
medical facilities. In fact, nearly 100 % of health care facilities have had their medical records
hacked in the last few years. Almost half of companies who have a working relationship with the
medical facilities have also been hacked (Shin, 2015).
According to a video from the Wall Street Journal, “Medical Identity Theft on the Rise”, medical
identity theft has been increasing the last few years. Thieves will steal someone’s medical
identity and use the information to get medications or have medical procedures. The patient will
8
not realize what has happened until they get a bill for a procedure they have not had or notice
something in their medical records has changed. The problem has gotten so severe that a group
of major insurance companies have formed the “Medical Identity Fraud Alliance” to help fight
this problem. The Department of Justice and Health and Human Services are the federal
agencies who are focusing on examining the increase in medical identity theft. Some facilities
have implemented a scanner to screen the patient’s fingerprints to verify a patient’s identity. A
medical facility in California was involved in a plot to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by
arranging to have people be seen at the clinic under the stolen identities and receive a
prescription which would later be sold illegally. A physician at the facility was arrested for
health care fraud and conspiracy (Zelevansky, 2015).
More medical facilities have been transferring to electronic health records since the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the Affordable Care Act in 2010, causing a larger
chance of cyber-attacks. Criminals also feel that it is easier to access health care accounts versus
other businesses (Shin, 2015).
Since the implementation of the “Health Insurance Portability and Portability Act of 1996
(HIPAA)”, the duties of the privacy officer changed. Facilities transferring to electronic health
records has required the privacy officer to have a better technological background. Their role has
become more involved with more responsibilities including making sure staff are well trained
and in compliance with all guidelines. Another important part of a security officer’s job involves
making sure security is in place to prevent unlawful access to the electronic health records,
reviewing and revising procedures, and training staff on correct guidelines (Dimick, 2012).
Furthermore, the textbook, Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach,
stated that the nationwide health information network (NHIN) and the implementation of
electronic health records, has increased medical identity theft. It stated that “electronic systems
with multiple centralized and decentralized databases could facilitate both the commission and
hiding of this crime” (Sayles, 2014, p. 739).
9
Figure 2 shows the increase in medical identity theft from the year 2010 through 2014. The chart
shows an increase from 15% in 2010, and by 2014 it had increased to 28% which is a 13%
increase in four years. The article compiled the information from a study that was done by the
Poneman Institute (Munrow, D., 2015).
Figure 2 (Munrow, D., 2015)
Finally, Rick Kam, who is president of ID Experts, stated the FBI feels thieves receive more
money selling stolen medical health insurance information than the price they would receive for
selling social security cards (Shin, 2015).
What measures are taken by medical facilities to prevent medical identity theft?
Stealing someone’s medical identity is not a difficult task. All the thief needs would be part of
the person’s personal information or a personal document or card, for instance, a social security
card. Even a copy of someone’s insurance card would be enough to steal their medical identity
(Weinstock, 2015).
Because of the increase in medical identity theft, it is important for medical facilities to have
measures in place to protect their patients’ medical identity. Some of the ways this can be done
would be: protecting who has access to the patient’s records, verifying a patient’s identity in the
15% 15%
19%
23%
28%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Increase in Medical Identity Theft
% comparison
10
reception area by checking picture identification, and verifying personal information. Employees
should receive thorough training in processes to prevent identity theft. It would also be beneficial
to pre-register the patient before their visit and get pre-authorization from their insurance
company (Weinstock, 2015).
While verifying documentation is extremely important, protecting the electronic health record is
essential. Using a protected server is mandatory and information sent by e-mail should always be
encrypted to prevent hackers from accessing the information. Computers should be locked and
pass-codes should be used. Electronic devices should be protected from being stolen (Weinstock,
2015).
Training documents should include clear instructions on how employees should protect their
patients from having their identity stolen. Employee training should be ongoing and they need to
fully understand HIPAA guidelines. Areas where patients’ information is kept should always be
secure from non-authorized people. Patient documentation should never be left unattended.
Asking for a driver’s license and a valid insurance card during registration should be required.
The associate should verify the information with the patient’s electronic record (Weinstock,
2015).
An employer should make sure a prospective employee is completely vetted before they are
hired. New employees should only have security for the jobs they are trained. Only authorized
staff should have access to certain information and areas of the facility. Employees should be
thoroughly trained in how to notice discrepancies in medical records or in documents. If
anything does not seem right, completely evaluate the situation (Weinstock, 2015).
Medical identity thieves are becoming savvy at accessing electronic health records. Medical
facilities need to be vigilant in protecting themselves and their patients by following federal and
state regulations as required (Weinstock, 2015).
In addition, in the textbook “Health Information Management Technology: An Applied
Approach”, they talk about instances where doctors were also having their identity’s stolen. The
thieves use the stolen credentials to charge medications and other health care equipment or
services that have never happened (Sayles, 2014).
11
Therefore, the book emphasizes that health care locations need to determine how thieves are
capable of accessing information so they can set up procedures to protect themselves and their
patients from medical identity theft. Most facilities follow HIPAA guidelines, but it is not
enough. It is important that new employees receive extensive screening before being hired. The
book stated that “The problem becomes almost unsolvable in the context of secondary releases of
false information for insurance” (Sayles, 2014, p. 739).
According to Rhodes (2015), “The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Red Flags Rule requires
organizations to develop and implement a formal, written identity-theft-prevention program with
the purpose of detecting the warning signs, or ‘red flags’ of identity theft throughout their
operations”. He talked about a huge instance of medical identity theft that occurred at Anthem
insurance company where assorted patient personal information was stolen. The information was
hacked, and it went on for almost a year. Setting up these red flags could have alerted the
company to the breach. Many health care providers are unaware of the severity of medical
identity theft. A shortage of employees was another issue. Many times a facility does not have
enough trained staff employed to support an effective privacy plan (p.28).
Medical facilities should screen for unusual changes in a patient’s medical records. Changes in
personal identification like a birthdate could signal something is not right. Procedures need to be
in place to determine how to proceed and what to watch. Using computer applications with
privacy settings will help to pick up problems and stop unauthorized use. The software can pick
up repetitions in use that can signal a breach (Rhodes, 2015).
Per the article, with more and more medical facilities transferring to electronic health records, it
will increase the movement towards medical identity theft. Medical facilities need to be attentive
to protect their patients (Rhodes, 2015).
What measures should patients take to protect themselves from medical identity theft?
Medical identity theft can cause real problems for patients. It can not only cause financial
problems with unauthorized medical expenses, but it could even affect the patient’s health if
someone else’s medical information ends up in their health records. For instance, if the patient
needed to have a blood transfusion and their blood type was changed, it could end up being fatal
(Andrews, 2016).
12
Warning a patient about medical identity theft is a good procedure for medical facilities to
follow. Sometimes patients do not fully understand the consequences of sharing personal
information. Keeping personal documents like insurance cards in a secure place and not sharing
them, is information a facility should make the patient aware of. A patient should check their
medical account periodically to monitor it for unusual activity and request medical invoices and
records to examine them for discrepancies (Weinstock, 2015).
Figure 3 shows some of the ways patients learn about Medical Identity Theft. The graph shows
the percentage of ways they first learn about having their medical identity accessed (Praskac,
A.,2012).
Figure 3 (Praskac,A., 2012)
Discovering medical identity theft can be difficult. Patients should not divulge their personal or
medical data to anyone. The article states that patients should go over the explanation of benefits
letter completely. It is also important to go over any paperwork or charges received from
providers and insurance companies. Even checking your credit report was suggested. All
46%
30%
16%
9%
9%
5%
Victims First Learn About Medical Identity Theft
Receipt of Collection Letter
Discover Mistake in Health Records
Drop in Credit Score
Alert for Health Care Provider
Errors Posted to Medical Invoices
Data Breach Notification
13
personal identification cards should be protected and not shared. It would be a good idea to
inquire about the reason any requests are made for the information. Sharing upcoming medical
procedures on social media is not recommended. A criminal can find other information online
and use it to set up a medical account in your name. There have even been instances of other
family members stealing their relative’s identity to receive health care. Almost half the people
surveyed for the article said their identity was stolen by a relative or an acquaintance. If a patient
allows someone to use their medical information, it is a federal crime. Some people feel they are
just helping someone out who doesn’t have health insurance, but should be aware that it could
cause them legal problems (Andrews, 2016).
According to the video, “Medical ID Theft on the Rise” regarding a study from the Poneman
Institute, the rise of medical identity theft is up to over 2 million people. The film mentioned
how the majority of people do not even realize their identity has been stolen until several months
after, and one third of the people never even realize it had happened. Medical identity theft costs
patients a lot of money to correct the problem and it is also time-consuming (Medical ID Theft
on the Rise, 2015).
Educating the patient on how they can protect themselves is important. Inform them how
important it is to verify that all their medical information is accurate and to inquire if they have
questions or concerns (Merisalo, 2008).
14
Factual Summary / Conclusions:
Medical identity theft is happening to obtain medical insurance benefits by either someone in
need of insurance or by individuals who are selling the information for profit. Another reason
would be for obtaining drugs or medical supplies which also can be sold for profit. Gaining
access to someone’s medical identity opens up many avenues for thieves. Stealing someone’s
medical identity is more profitable than from the sale of stolen credit cards.
Thieves have learned how to access someone’s medical identity electronically by gaining access
to some of the patient’s personal identifiers such as social security numbers. If thieves gain
access to a patient’s insurance card, they will be able to obtain all the patient’s personal
identifiers. A careless employee who does not follow guidelines set in place by the facility could
open up a path for patients to have their medical identity stolen. Any electronic device used by
an employee should always be secured and computers should be password protected and not left
unattended when the employee walks away. Any e-mails sent should be encrypted.
There has been an increase in medical identity theft in the last several years. Medical identity
theft has risen higher than identity theft has in other commercial businesses. Projections show
that this increase will continue to grow. Some of the breaches of medical identity include
computer hacking, data moving from one location to another, someone from the inside helping
the thieves for profit, accidental exposure, carelessness by a subcontractor or third party vendor,
and employee negligence.
Medical records contain valuable information on patients like birthdate, address, phone numbers,
even credit card numbers. Almost all medical facilities have had their medical records
compromised in the last few years. Thieves have been focusing on hacking into medical facility
computers.
Since more medical facilities have been converting to electronic records, this has motivated
thieves to hack into medical accounts. Thieves feel they have an easier time accessing health
accounts than they do accessing other businesses. Because of the many integrated and
regionalized databases available, it makes it easier to hide the misdeeds.
15
Many medical facilities hire security or privacy officers to oversee security at their locations to
make sure procedures are in place. The servers used by the facility should be protected.
Employees receive training to follow guidelines set up to prevent medical identity theft. The
reception desk is trained to verify the appropriate information to determine the patient who is
being seen is the person showing in the account. Facilities hire employees that have been
thoroughly screened. Warning flags signal to the staff if something is amiss so they can
investigate it further.
Patients should be educated and aware of ways to protect themselves from having their medical
identity stolen. Many times they do not realize their identity has been stolen until they receive a
bill that is for something they never received. Patient’s need to be made aware of how important
it is to be careful about sharing their personal information. Even having the wrong information
on their medical records could be dangerous to their health. Going over bills from their provider
or from their insurance company could show if any information is incorrect.
16
Recommendations:
With medical identity theft on the rise it is important for medical facilities to use proper
measures to make it harder for thieves to access patient information. Based on the findings in this
report the following are the recommendations:
1. A medical security officer should be used to oversee all areas by making sure the server is
secure and that the firewall is working.
2. The facility should implement technical fraud prevention measures and software that will
flag possible breaches.
3. The data should be encrypted to prevent hackers from accessing patient information.
4. All employees should receive thorough training in appropriate procedures for handling of
patient information.
5. Password protection should be used on all computers and electronic devices.
6. Computers should never be left unattended with patient information showing.
7. Areas of the facility should be secure and only personnel with the correct credentials should
be allowed in the secured areas.
8. The reception area should be thorough in verifying patient information and matching it to
what shows on the patient’s account.
9. A photo ID should be scanned into each patient’s account to help with the identification
process.
10. All HIPAA guidelines should be followed by the staff.
11. New staff should be thoroughly vetted before being hired.
12. Vendors should also be scrutinized and informed on policies in place by the medical facility
so they also follow correct guidelines.
Patients should also be educated on ways to look for medical identity theft. They should be told
to monitor their medical records to make sure everything is correct and to contact the medical
facility immediately if it is not. They should also check over all statements from the facility and
from their insurance company to confirm there are no unauthorized charges. It is extremely
important to educate patients to protect their personal information such as their social security
and insurance cards. If they receive a call asking for some personal identifiers, it should be
17
questioned further and they should keep to a minimum the information they share. The Medical
facility should never ask the patient over the phone for their complete social security number.
Monitoring their credit report is also advisable.
18
References
Andrews, M. (2016, August 25). The Rise of Medical Identity Theft. Consumerreports.org.
Retrieved from: http://www.consumerreports.org/medical-identity-theft/medical-identity-
theft/
Dimick, C. (2012, April). The New Privacy Officer: Journal of AHIMA 83, no.4. Retrieved from:
http://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=105340#.WNgI1fkrLIV
Identity Theft Resource Center (2015, January 12). Identity Theft Resource Center Breach
Report Hits Record High in 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.idtheftcenter.org/ITRC-
Surveys-Studies/2014databreaches.html
Kieke, R. L. (2009). Although a Relatively New Risk Area, Medical Identity Theft Should Not
Be Taken Lightly. Journal Of Health Care Compliance, 11(1), 51-74. Retrieved from:
http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true
&db=buh&AN=36097369&site=eds-live
McNeal, M. (2014). HACKING HEALTH CARE. (cover story). Marketing Health
Services, 34(3), 16-21. Retrieved from:
http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true
&db=buh&AN=98169038&site=eds-live
“Medical ID Theft Increases Doctors Beware”. (2015, March 11). States News Service.
Retrieved from
http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w
&u=foxvtc&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA404795380&sid=ebsco&asid=6daf4efdefe415
b2261a5e7153733ef3
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“Medical Identity Theft: Patient access first in line to manage the nation's fastest growing
crime”. (2008). Health Care Registration: The Newsletter for Health Care Registration
Professionals, 17(9), 1-11. Retrieved from:
http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true
&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s6254798&db=c9h&AN=32022412
Munrow, D. (2015, February 23). New Study Says Over 2 Million Americans Are Victims of
Identity Theft. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danmunro/2015/02/23/new-
study-says-over-2-million-americans-are-victims-of-medical-identity-
theft/#7d7825115a05
Obama's Support for Digital Health Records May Increase Identity Theft. (2009, May 23).
Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week, 199. Retrieved from
http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&
u=foxvtc&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA200018567&sid=ebsco&asid=1a23efeed71b005
ecf192caa6b5ddc76
Praskac, A. (2012, February 21). Amy on Organizing Records. Landmark Studies by the
Poneman Institute. Retrieved from: http://www.ontherecordorganizing.com/amy-on-
organizing-records/medical-identity-theft-statistics
Rhodes, R. (2015). How red flags, policies and technology can catch medical identity
theft. Health Management Technology, 36(4), 28-29. Retrieved from:
http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true
&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s6254798&db=cmedm&AN=26357777
Sayles, N. (2014). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (4th ed.).
American Health Information Management Association.
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Shin, L. (2015, May 29). Why Medical Identity Theft Is Rising And How To Protect Yourself.
Forbes. Retrieved From: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2015/05/29/why-
medical-identity-theft-is-rising-and-how-to-protect-yourself/#6df638e13608
Video: Study: Medical ID theft on the rise. (2015, February 25). Local Broadcast Video Content.
Retrieved from
http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&
u=foxvtc&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA402990111&sid=ebsco&asid=5ed9c04f0789669
d69f8e70bf84b9caf
WEINSTOCK, D. (2015). Is Your Practice at Risk for Medical Identity Theft? Are you taking
the proper steps to prevent this crime?...Reprinted with Permission from The Journal of
Medical Practice Management, Nov/Dec 2014, pgs 168-170. Podiatry
Management, 34(8), 123-125. Retrieved from:
http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true
&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s6254798&db=rzh&AN=110454249
Zelevansky, j. (2015, August 7). Medical Identity Theft On the Rise. [Video file]. Retrieved
from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIFasQw336A
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Medical Identity Theft Rise with EHR

  • 1. MEDICAL IDENTITY THEFT Has the transition to electronic health records by health care providers caused an increase in medical identity theft? MARCH 20, 2017 TECHNICAL REPORTING- BILL EBBESEN Sharon Nemecek
  • 2. Memo of Transmittal: To: William Ebbesen From: Sharon Nemecek Date: March 6, 2017 Subject: Recommendation Report for the study on the rise of medical identity theft Enclosed is the report you requested on “Has the transition to electronic health records by health care providers caused an increase in medical identity theft?”, for Technical Reporting class. This report covers how medical identity theft is done and why it is done, whether there has been a rise in medical identity theft, what measures medical facilities should take to prevent medical identity theft, and what measures patients should take to protect their medical identity. However, the report does not cover commercial identity theft or credit card fraud. The report includes information about reasons why thieves steal someone’s medical identity and the ways they are able to do so. The report also goes into how transitioning to electronic health records has increased medical identity theft, and how this affects medical facilities and patients. This report analyzes ways people find out how their identity has been stolen and the types of medical identity theft. It also shows the increase in medical identity theft. In order to complete this report I was able to get much needed assistance from the Teaching and Learning center at Fox Valley Technical College. As a result, my paper included all the requirements needed to complete the assignment. I appreciate the confidence you have shown in me in assigning this project. Please contact me with any questions regarding the areas covered. My phone number is (920)733-9228 and my e- mail address is nemecek0613@fvtc.edu.
  • 3. 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ 2 Introduction:.................................................................................................................................... 4 Background of Feasibility Issue:................................................................................................. 4 Purpose of the Report.................................................................................................................. 4 Scope of the Report..................................................................................................................... 4 Sources of the Report .................................................................................................................. 5 Discussion of Findings.................................................................................................................... 6 How is Medical Identity Theft Done and Why is it Done?......................................................... 6 Has There Been an Increase in Medical Identity Theft? ............................................................. 7 What measures are taken by medical facilities to prevent medical identity theft? ..................... 9 What measures should patients take to protect themselves from medical identity theft?......... 11 Factual Summary / Conclusions: .................................................................................................. 14 Recommendations:........................................................................................................................ 16 References..................................................................................................................................... 18
  • 4. 2 Executive Summary To determine if medical identity theft has been on the rise since the implementation of electronic health records, instructor Bill Ebbesen requested a study be done to determine if this is true. I researched information from several reliable sites which included scholarly journals, textbooks, internet, and videos to assess information about medical identity theft, and will present my findings and recommendations. Several reasons were stated in the documentation why thieves would steal someone’s medical identity. One of the reasons was to receive medical care for themselves because they were not able to afford their own. They may want access to prescriptions for themselves or sell them to make money. Supplies can also be obtained and re-sold. Many times, the stealing of medical identity is for profit and the people who commit this crime are very good at accessing patient information by hacking into someone’s medical records. All they need is some personal information about the patient such as a social security number. Employees who are careless with protecting electronic devices or not following guidelines could allow hackers access to their databases. Information can be hacked into and sold. To carry out this study, information was obtained from research reports from the Poneman Institute that noted a rise in medical identity theft after the push to go to electronic medical records. Todd Feinman, who is a security expert, was interviewed for an article for “Obesity Fitness & Wellness Week”. He felt that going to electronic health records has escalated medical identity theft. The Identity Theft Resource Center stated that medical identity theft has risen at a larger pace than other businesses. Since medical identity theft has escalated, medical facilities need to be proactive in protecting themselves and their patients. Several sites outlined ways that facilities can do this by protecting electronic devices and computers. Making sure all electronic devices and computers are locked and password protected, by verifying patient’s information when they come to their facility, doing a complete background check on new employees, and thoroughly training all employees to make sure they are knowledgeable about all guidelines, will help to prevent medical identity theft.
  • 5. 3 The study also determined that patients should be made aware of how medical identity theft could affect them. A patient can do things to help prevent this from happening to them. They should always check their bills to make sure an unusual charge is not showing, they should not share personal information especially over the phone, and insurance cards and other personal identification should be kept in a safe place. It is important for patients to go onto their account to look for discrepancies or ask for a copy of their medical records to verify everything is correct. Patients should also be aware that allowing someone they know to use their medical identity to receive service is a crime.
  • 6. 4 Introduction: To determine if medical identity theft has been increasing since the implementation of electronic health records, instructor Bill Ebbesen requested a feasibility report to address this issue. Background of Feasibility Issue: With the cost of medical care always rising, and with medical facilities transitioning to electronic health records, medical identity theft also has been on the rise. Transferring to electronic health records by medical facilities since the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” and the “Affordable Care Act in 2010”, there has been an increase in breaches electronically of patients’ personal information. The stealing of medical identity and selling the information tends to be very profitable for thieves. A patient’s medical record contains a great deal of personal information including credit card numbers from health savings accounts. Employee errors are a big reason for medical identity theft. The main cause of medical identity theft is from hacking into a patient’s account. Medical identity theft has increased significantly in the last several years. Medical facilities need to put measures in place and have thorough training of all staff to help prevent patients’ information from being stolen. Patients should also be made aware of what could happen, and the measures they need to take to protect themselves. Purpose of the Report Since all medical facilities will need to transfer to electronic health records, this has motivated thieves to find ways to access the information. The purpose of this proposal is to analyze why medical identity theft is being done and how it is being done. The goal is to set up a plan and have procedures in place to guard against medical identity theft. Scope of the Report This proposal describes how medical identity theft is done and why it is done. It also discusses the increase in medical identity theft and how it relates to the transition to electronic health records. The measures that facilities use to prevent medical identity theft is also addressed in this report as well as what patients can do to protect themselves. However, the report does not cover commercial identity theft or credit card fraud.
  • 7. 5 Sources of the Report The sources used for compiling this report included library based journals and articles. Internet magazine articles were also useful. I utilized two video sources as well. The majority of the information was gained from secondary sources. The reason these resources were used was because of the large amount of information available. I did not include first-hand opinions because I felt they could be biased.
  • 8. 6 Discussion of Findings How is Medical Identity Theft Done and Why is it Done? According to Kieke (2009), “Medical identity theft is the inappropriate or unauthorized misrepresentation of individually identifiable health information for the purpose of obtaining access to property or services, which may result in long-lasting harm to an individual interacting with the health care continuum” (p. 51). Some reasons why someone’s identity is stolen are: a person wants to receive health insurance benefits for themselves using another person’s information, an employee of a medical facility gets paid for selling the information, or by people who are trying to obtain drugs for themselves or to sell them for profit (Kieke, 2009). Harry B. Rhodes, who is director of Practice Leadership for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), asserted that “These people are very quick about it” when he discussed medical information being stolen. He talks about how after the information is taken, a large amount of false claims are submitted using the identity of the person who’s information was stolen. Many times, the medical identity information is sold (Kieke, 2009, p. 52). According to McNeal (2014), thieves who steal medical records are able to have entrance into all the patient’s pertinent information including access codes and safety questions that are on file. Gaining access to a social security number could allow the thieves to make costly purchases in the patient’s name. Criminals who hack into medical accounts are able to receive more money selling health insurance information than what is received from the sale of credit cards. It is not uncommon for thieves to obtain services for medical procedures, medical equipment, and prescriptions using someone else’s identity (p. 20). Employees who do not follow correct procedures are one of the main reasons for medical identity theft. Three quarters of medical facilities have determined that the carelessness of employees is the reason their data is hacked. Human error is a big part of the problem. Electronic devices need to be secured and password protected. If someone is careless, a patient’s personal information could be accessed even though the security system for the network and computers is secure (McNeal, 2014).
  • 9. 7 Below figure 1 shows the main types of medical identity theft and the corresponding percentage per type. The percentage shows from 2007 through 2014, but for “employee negligence”, the data was only compiled for years from 2012 through 2014 (Identity Theft Resource Center, 2015). Types ofMedical Identity Breaches % from 2007-2014 Hacking 21.7% Data on the Move 15.9% InsiderTheft 12% Accidental Exposure 12% Subcontractor/ Third Party 11.2% Employee Negligence 9.5 ( for yearsfrom 2012-2014) Figure 1 (Identity Theft Resource Center, 2015) Has There Been an Increase in Medical Identity Theft? An academic article states that “medical identity theft spiked 22 percent in 2014. Medical identity theft is projected to continue to rise. Actions need to be taken by medical facilities to safeguard themselves. The article noted a need for cyber liability insurance for medical providers to cover damages if their systems are hacked (Medical ID Theft Increases, 2015). According to an article from Obesity Fitness & Wellness Week, Todd Feinman, who is a security expert, felt the movement to electronic records will cause a greater chance of medical identity theft because many providers are not taking the needed precautions (Obama’s Support, 2009). “Why Medical Identity Theft is Rising and How to Protect Yourself”, referred to information from the Identity Theft Resource Center which determined that medical identity theft has risen higher than other businesses. Medical records contain important personal information including credit card and social security numbers. Computer generated attacks have been focusing on medical facilities. In fact, nearly 100 % of health care facilities have had their medical records hacked in the last few years. Almost half of companies who have a working relationship with the medical facilities have also been hacked (Shin, 2015). According to a video from the Wall Street Journal, “Medical Identity Theft on the Rise”, medical identity theft has been increasing the last few years. Thieves will steal someone’s medical identity and use the information to get medications or have medical procedures. The patient will
  • 10. 8 not realize what has happened until they get a bill for a procedure they have not had or notice something in their medical records has changed. The problem has gotten so severe that a group of major insurance companies have formed the “Medical Identity Fraud Alliance” to help fight this problem. The Department of Justice and Health and Human Services are the federal agencies who are focusing on examining the increase in medical identity theft. Some facilities have implemented a scanner to screen the patient’s fingerprints to verify a patient’s identity. A medical facility in California was involved in a plot to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by arranging to have people be seen at the clinic under the stolen identities and receive a prescription which would later be sold illegally. A physician at the facility was arrested for health care fraud and conspiracy (Zelevansky, 2015). More medical facilities have been transferring to electronic health records since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the Affordable Care Act in 2010, causing a larger chance of cyber-attacks. Criminals also feel that it is easier to access health care accounts versus other businesses (Shin, 2015). Since the implementation of the “Health Insurance Portability and Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)”, the duties of the privacy officer changed. Facilities transferring to electronic health records has required the privacy officer to have a better technological background. Their role has become more involved with more responsibilities including making sure staff are well trained and in compliance with all guidelines. Another important part of a security officer’s job involves making sure security is in place to prevent unlawful access to the electronic health records, reviewing and revising procedures, and training staff on correct guidelines (Dimick, 2012). Furthermore, the textbook, Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach, stated that the nationwide health information network (NHIN) and the implementation of electronic health records, has increased medical identity theft. It stated that “electronic systems with multiple centralized and decentralized databases could facilitate both the commission and hiding of this crime” (Sayles, 2014, p. 739).
  • 11. 9 Figure 2 shows the increase in medical identity theft from the year 2010 through 2014. The chart shows an increase from 15% in 2010, and by 2014 it had increased to 28% which is a 13% increase in four years. The article compiled the information from a study that was done by the Poneman Institute (Munrow, D., 2015). Figure 2 (Munrow, D., 2015) Finally, Rick Kam, who is president of ID Experts, stated the FBI feels thieves receive more money selling stolen medical health insurance information than the price they would receive for selling social security cards (Shin, 2015). What measures are taken by medical facilities to prevent medical identity theft? Stealing someone’s medical identity is not a difficult task. All the thief needs would be part of the person’s personal information or a personal document or card, for instance, a social security card. Even a copy of someone’s insurance card would be enough to steal their medical identity (Weinstock, 2015). Because of the increase in medical identity theft, it is important for medical facilities to have measures in place to protect their patients’ medical identity. Some of the ways this can be done would be: protecting who has access to the patient’s records, verifying a patient’s identity in the 15% 15% 19% 23% 28% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Increase in Medical Identity Theft % comparison
  • 12. 10 reception area by checking picture identification, and verifying personal information. Employees should receive thorough training in processes to prevent identity theft. It would also be beneficial to pre-register the patient before their visit and get pre-authorization from their insurance company (Weinstock, 2015). While verifying documentation is extremely important, protecting the electronic health record is essential. Using a protected server is mandatory and information sent by e-mail should always be encrypted to prevent hackers from accessing the information. Computers should be locked and pass-codes should be used. Electronic devices should be protected from being stolen (Weinstock, 2015). Training documents should include clear instructions on how employees should protect their patients from having their identity stolen. Employee training should be ongoing and they need to fully understand HIPAA guidelines. Areas where patients’ information is kept should always be secure from non-authorized people. Patient documentation should never be left unattended. Asking for a driver’s license and a valid insurance card during registration should be required. The associate should verify the information with the patient’s electronic record (Weinstock, 2015). An employer should make sure a prospective employee is completely vetted before they are hired. New employees should only have security for the jobs they are trained. Only authorized staff should have access to certain information and areas of the facility. Employees should be thoroughly trained in how to notice discrepancies in medical records or in documents. If anything does not seem right, completely evaluate the situation (Weinstock, 2015). Medical identity thieves are becoming savvy at accessing electronic health records. Medical facilities need to be vigilant in protecting themselves and their patients by following federal and state regulations as required (Weinstock, 2015). In addition, in the textbook “Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach”, they talk about instances where doctors were also having their identity’s stolen. The thieves use the stolen credentials to charge medications and other health care equipment or services that have never happened (Sayles, 2014).
  • 13. 11 Therefore, the book emphasizes that health care locations need to determine how thieves are capable of accessing information so they can set up procedures to protect themselves and their patients from medical identity theft. Most facilities follow HIPAA guidelines, but it is not enough. It is important that new employees receive extensive screening before being hired. The book stated that “The problem becomes almost unsolvable in the context of secondary releases of false information for insurance” (Sayles, 2014, p. 739). According to Rhodes (2015), “The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Red Flags Rule requires organizations to develop and implement a formal, written identity-theft-prevention program with the purpose of detecting the warning signs, or ‘red flags’ of identity theft throughout their operations”. He talked about a huge instance of medical identity theft that occurred at Anthem insurance company where assorted patient personal information was stolen. The information was hacked, and it went on for almost a year. Setting up these red flags could have alerted the company to the breach. Many health care providers are unaware of the severity of medical identity theft. A shortage of employees was another issue. Many times a facility does not have enough trained staff employed to support an effective privacy plan (p.28). Medical facilities should screen for unusual changes in a patient’s medical records. Changes in personal identification like a birthdate could signal something is not right. Procedures need to be in place to determine how to proceed and what to watch. Using computer applications with privacy settings will help to pick up problems and stop unauthorized use. The software can pick up repetitions in use that can signal a breach (Rhodes, 2015). Per the article, with more and more medical facilities transferring to electronic health records, it will increase the movement towards medical identity theft. Medical facilities need to be attentive to protect their patients (Rhodes, 2015). What measures should patients take to protect themselves from medical identity theft? Medical identity theft can cause real problems for patients. It can not only cause financial problems with unauthorized medical expenses, but it could even affect the patient’s health if someone else’s medical information ends up in their health records. For instance, if the patient needed to have a blood transfusion and their blood type was changed, it could end up being fatal (Andrews, 2016).
  • 14. 12 Warning a patient about medical identity theft is a good procedure for medical facilities to follow. Sometimes patients do not fully understand the consequences of sharing personal information. Keeping personal documents like insurance cards in a secure place and not sharing them, is information a facility should make the patient aware of. A patient should check their medical account periodically to monitor it for unusual activity and request medical invoices and records to examine them for discrepancies (Weinstock, 2015). Figure 3 shows some of the ways patients learn about Medical Identity Theft. The graph shows the percentage of ways they first learn about having their medical identity accessed (Praskac, A.,2012). Figure 3 (Praskac,A., 2012) Discovering medical identity theft can be difficult. Patients should not divulge their personal or medical data to anyone. The article states that patients should go over the explanation of benefits letter completely. It is also important to go over any paperwork or charges received from providers and insurance companies. Even checking your credit report was suggested. All 46% 30% 16% 9% 9% 5% Victims First Learn About Medical Identity Theft Receipt of Collection Letter Discover Mistake in Health Records Drop in Credit Score Alert for Health Care Provider Errors Posted to Medical Invoices Data Breach Notification
  • 15. 13 personal identification cards should be protected and not shared. It would be a good idea to inquire about the reason any requests are made for the information. Sharing upcoming medical procedures on social media is not recommended. A criminal can find other information online and use it to set up a medical account in your name. There have even been instances of other family members stealing their relative’s identity to receive health care. Almost half the people surveyed for the article said their identity was stolen by a relative or an acquaintance. If a patient allows someone to use their medical information, it is a federal crime. Some people feel they are just helping someone out who doesn’t have health insurance, but should be aware that it could cause them legal problems (Andrews, 2016). According to the video, “Medical ID Theft on the Rise” regarding a study from the Poneman Institute, the rise of medical identity theft is up to over 2 million people. The film mentioned how the majority of people do not even realize their identity has been stolen until several months after, and one third of the people never even realize it had happened. Medical identity theft costs patients a lot of money to correct the problem and it is also time-consuming (Medical ID Theft on the Rise, 2015). Educating the patient on how they can protect themselves is important. Inform them how important it is to verify that all their medical information is accurate and to inquire if they have questions or concerns (Merisalo, 2008).
  • 16. 14 Factual Summary / Conclusions: Medical identity theft is happening to obtain medical insurance benefits by either someone in need of insurance or by individuals who are selling the information for profit. Another reason would be for obtaining drugs or medical supplies which also can be sold for profit. Gaining access to someone’s medical identity opens up many avenues for thieves. Stealing someone’s medical identity is more profitable than from the sale of stolen credit cards. Thieves have learned how to access someone’s medical identity electronically by gaining access to some of the patient’s personal identifiers such as social security numbers. If thieves gain access to a patient’s insurance card, they will be able to obtain all the patient’s personal identifiers. A careless employee who does not follow guidelines set in place by the facility could open up a path for patients to have their medical identity stolen. Any electronic device used by an employee should always be secured and computers should be password protected and not left unattended when the employee walks away. Any e-mails sent should be encrypted. There has been an increase in medical identity theft in the last several years. Medical identity theft has risen higher than identity theft has in other commercial businesses. Projections show that this increase will continue to grow. Some of the breaches of medical identity include computer hacking, data moving from one location to another, someone from the inside helping the thieves for profit, accidental exposure, carelessness by a subcontractor or third party vendor, and employee negligence. Medical records contain valuable information on patients like birthdate, address, phone numbers, even credit card numbers. Almost all medical facilities have had their medical records compromised in the last few years. Thieves have been focusing on hacking into medical facility computers. Since more medical facilities have been converting to electronic records, this has motivated thieves to hack into medical accounts. Thieves feel they have an easier time accessing health accounts than they do accessing other businesses. Because of the many integrated and regionalized databases available, it makes it easier to hide the misdeeds.
  • 17. 15 Many medical facilities hire security or privacy officers to oversee security at their locations to make sure procedures are in place. The servers used by the facility should be protected. Employees receive training to follow guidelines set up to prevent medical identity theft. The reception desk is trained to verify the appropriate information to determine the patient who is being seen is the person showing in the account. Facilities hire employees that have been thoroughly screened. Warning flags signal to the staff if something is amiss so they can investigate it further. Patients should be educated and aware of ways to protect themselves from having their medical identity stolen. Many times they do not realize their identity has been stolen until they receive a bill that is for something they never received. Patient’s need to be made aware of how important it is to be careful about sharing their personal information. Even having the wrong information on their medical records could be dangerous to their health. Going over bills from their provider or from their insurance company could show if any information is incorrect.
  • 18. 16 Recommendations: With medical identity theft on the rise it is important for medical facilities to use proper measures to make it harder for thieves to access patient information. Based on the findings in this report the following are the recommendations: 1. A medical security officer should be used to oversee all areas by making sure the server is secure and that the firewall is working. 2. The facility should implement technical fraud prevention measures and software that will flag possible breaches. 3. The data should be encrypted to prevent hackers from accessing patient information. 4. All employees should receive thorough training in appropriate procedures for handling of patient information. 5. Password protection should be used on all computers and electronic devices. 6. Computers should never be left unattended with patient information showing. 7. Areas of the facility should be secure and only personnel with the correct credentials should be allowed in the secured areas. 8. The reception area should be thorough in verifying patient information and matching it to what shows on the patient’s account. 9. A photo ID should be scanned into each patient’s account to help with the identification process. 10. All HIPAA guidelines should be followed by the staff. 11. New staff should be thoroughly vetted before being hired. 12. Vendors should also be scrutinized and informed on policies in place by the medical facility so they also follow correct guidelines. Patients should also be educated on ways to look for medical identity theft. They should be told to monitor their medical records to make sure everything is correct and to contact the medical facility immediately if it is not. They should also check over all statements from the facility and from their insurance company to confirm there are no unauthorized charges. It is extremely important to educate patients to protect their personal information such as their social security and insurance cards. If they receive a call asking for some personal identifiers, it should be
  • 19. 17 questioned further and they should keep to a minimum the information they share. The Medical facility should never ask the patient over the phone for their complete social security number. Monitoring their credit report is also advisable.
  • 20. 18 References Andrews, M. (2016, August 25). The Rise of Medical Identity Theft. Consumerreports.org. Retrieved from: http://www.consumerreports.org/medical-identity-theft/medical-identity- theft/ Dimick, C. (2012, April). The New Privacy Officer: Journal of AHIMA 83, no.4. Retrieved from: http://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=105340#.WNgI1fkrLIV Identity Theft Resource Center (2015, January 12). Identity Theft Resource Center Breach Report Hits Record High in 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.idtheftcenter.org/ITRC- Surveys-Studies/2014databreaches.html Kieke, R. L. (2009). Although a Relatively New Risk Area, Medical Identity Theft Should Not Be Taken Lightly. Journal Of Health Care Compliance, 11(1), 51-74. Retrieved from: http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true &db=buh&AN=36097369&site=eds-live McNeal, M. (2014). HACKING HEALTH CARE. (cover story). Marketing Health Services, 34(3), 16-21. Retrieved from: http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true &db=buh&AN=98169038&site=eds-live “Medical ID Theft Increases Doctors Beware”. (2015, March 11). States News Service. Retrieved from http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w &u=foxvtc&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA404795380&sid=ebsco&asid=6daf4efdefe415 b2261a5e7153733ef3
  • 21. 19 “Medical Identity Theft: Patient access first in line to manage the nation's fastest growing crime”. (2008). Health Care Registration: The Newsletter for Health Care Registration Professionals, 17(9), 1-11. Retrieved from: http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true &AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s6254798&db=c9h&AN=32022412 Munrow, D. (2015, February 23). New Study Says Over 2 Million Americans Are Victims of Identity Theft. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danmunro/2015/02/23/new- study-says-over-2-million-americans-are-victims-of-medical-identity- theft/#7d7825115a05 Obama's Support for Digital Health Records May Increase Identity Theft. (2009, May 23). Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week, 199. Retrieved from http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w& u=foxvtc&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA200018567&sid=ebsco&asid=1a23efeed71b005 ecf192caa6b5ddc76 Praskac, A. (2012, February 21). Amy on Organizing Records. Landmark Studies by the Poneman Institute. Retrieved from: http://www.ontherecordorganizing.com/amy-on- organizing-records/medical-identity-theft-statistics Rhodes, R. (2015). How red flags, policies and technology can catch medical identity theft. Health Management Technology, 36(4), 28-29. Retrieved from: http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true &AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s6254798&db=cmedm&AN=26357777 Sayles, N. (2014). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (4th ed.). American Health Information Management Association.
  • 22. 20 Shin, L. (2015, May 29). Why Medical Identity Theft Is Rising And How To Protect Yourself. Forbes. Retrieved From: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2015/05/29/why- medical-identity-theft-is-rising-and-how-to-protect-yourself/#6df638e13608 Video: Study: Medical ID theft on the rise. (2015, February 25). Local Broadcast Video Content. Retrieved from http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w& u=foxvtc&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA402990111&sid=ebsco&asid=5ed9c04f0789669 d69f8e70bf84b9caf WEINSTOCK, D. (2015). Is Your Practice at Risk for Medical Identity Theft? Are you taking the proper steps to prevent this crime?...Reprinted with Permission from The Journal of Medical Practice Management, Nov/Dec 2014, pgs 168-170. Podiatry Management, 34(8), 123-125. Retrieved from: http://applibproxy.fvtc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true &AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s6254798&db=rzh&AN=110454249 Zelevansky, j. (2015, August 7). Medical Identity Theft On the Rise. [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIFasQw336A
  • 23. 21