Thread: Nerve............

My friend had her bag stolen.....the thief stole her identity....

Not only did they use her credit cards and check book....they also used her health insurance!

They have been going to doctors getting scans, prescriptions, etc....all in her name and the insurance company refuses to change her ID number. So now, all this thief's medical records are being mixed in with hers! and paid nevertheless!

Talk about nerve!

When you go to a doctor, they don't check your insurance card right away like a credit card. They submit their paperwork to the insurance company later on....therefore...she's not caught nor declined. It takes weeks...... She probably doesn't go back for follow up visits.

She's also gotten quite a few heavy duty narcotic prescriptions too. Paid of course by check with ID.....(stolen)......
I agree, for the sake of keeping records straight, they should change her number, but they won't.

sorry to hear that,how horrible.I remember hearing a similar story where some guy was getting bills for a surgery he never got.He went so far as actually going to the hospital to show them he had no scars at the supposed surgery area,he still had a heck of a time.The fact that he had no scars didn't seem to faze the hospital at all.I hope somehow your friend gets this taken care of,it is sad that there are people out there that just don't give a sh#&.

OMG that sucks.. it seems with all this identity theft going on, and the economy, I would think insurance companies would WANT TO change her number so they arent paying out more money..what morons. I hope she gets this resolved soon

One of the bad things about medical identity theft is the Medical Information Bureau. Now, the thiefs records, like you said, are all mixed in with hers. What if--at a hospital she needs blood given to her? And they pull up the thiefs identity which is a different blood type. Also, Medical identity theft has become huge because so many people can't get insurance---and they can max out her insurance and then she's left with no insurance for her. The reason, they can't/won't change a lot of her info---that thief is protected also, what if they come in to hospital---already have records under the false name, and needs care? They have to know what the false persons blood type is, etc. Another sticky thing is--if she reports that her medical identity has been stolen, she may end up not being able to get her own records, after all, she just said it wasn't her...so then it can go on and on.

When I took the Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist course, medical identity was amazing to me. Then hearing more and more stories about it happening....I hope everything works out for her.

Originally Posted by pepperpot

When you go to a doctor, they don't check your insurance card right away like a credit card. They submit their paperwork to the insurance company later on....therefore...she's not caught nor declined. It takes weeks...... She probably doesn't go back for follow up visits.

She's also gotten quite a few heavy duty narcotic prescriptions too. Paid of course by check with ID.....(stolen)......
I agree, for the sake of keeping records straight, they should change her number, but they won't.

She needs to get this taken care of ASAP! Because this will be on her INS. records! And when/IF she goes to get another ins. She will have difficulty. I would be contacting EVERY available resource I could to get ins. to change the numbers and then find a way to wipe them OFF my record if it were me.
CC's purchases and checks can easily be taken off. But this I would DEF. want resolved ASAP!!
I TRULY, TRULY hope she gets this all straighted out soon. I would be on the phone EVERY freaking minute to get it done if it happened to me..........
GOOD luck to her.

how horrible

So sorry to hear that happened to your friend. I hope that it is fixed, but with the sound of it, it won't be an easy fix.

Originally Posted by cab1277

That's awful. I feel like its a sign of the times though. People are desperate, crooks especially. I hope they get it resolved soon. What a nightmare.

Well, I could possibly understand 'desperation' if she tried to use the credit card/check at the grocery store....but she was declined using the credit card at target trying to purchase an xbox and ps3.....she's a thief without a conscience.... Perhaps a sign of the time for the callousness of people, not desperation.