When you consider of identity theft, you probably think of someone posing as you to steal your money. But there’s another type of id theft that can be just as damaging - medical identity theft. This type isn’t as long-familiar but it’s every bit as damaging as a financial theft.

This offense is committed by somebody using your personal information and insurance policy to get medical services for themselves. Perhaps they have a serious and ongoing medical condition like diabetes that needs continuous care. Because they pretended to be you and used your medical insurance, they can get the attention they need for nearly free.

The cost to you is that now you’ll have fictitious data in your medical records. This data is stored in a central location called the Medical Information Bureau or MIB. Now any time you’re treated by a doctor, they will have false information to go on that could lead to a wrong diagnosis or treatment for you.

You could be on the hook financially for whatever your deductible or out of pocket expenses are on your insurance policy. You could also become uninsurable for life insurance or an individual health insurance policy because of ‘pre-existing conditions’ that belong to someone else.

Just like you can get a free credit report, you can also get a free MIB report every year.It’s a good idea to check out what’s on it so that you’ll always receive the correct medical care. An identity theft protection plan like LifeLock or TrustedID offer help with this type of theft. You can get these plans for a discount by using a Life Lock promotion code or a promotion code for Trusted ID.

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