The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that HIPPA related healthcare data breaches have effected more than 34 million people nationwide.
Jeremy Henley, the director of breach services for ID Experts, recently appeared on The Bryan Crabtree Show to discuss the problem.
On the show, he stated that there are several reasons why a thief might want to steal someone’s medical information.
“It really depends on what kind of criminal they are. It might range from small timers who are just trying to get prescriptions so they can use an insurance card and pay a couple of bucks for the prescription that has a higher street value,†stated Henley. “Then, you literally have hackers of organized crime stealing millions of records and creating fraudulent business fronts to create false claims for the insurance money.â€
Henley added that many people pay their co-pays using their debit cards. If you’re not careful, Henley stated that hackers can steal your banking information and leaving you to foot the bill.
“Also, if you’re not paying attention, your cost of insurance goes up over time because your profile is incorrect,†explained Henley. “The ultimate cost is your medical records not being accurate which could end up costing you the wrong treatment–which could make you sick or even kill you.â€
To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, Henley urges people to guard the number found on their insurance card just as they would their social security number.
To learn more, listen to the interview below in its entirety:
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