HHS website dedicated to prevention of Medical ID Theft

http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov/

The Department of Health and Human Services launched a web site to educate professionals and consumers on the risks of medical identity theft and suggests ways to prevent it. This type of identity fraud has largely gone unmeasured by recent identity theft studies, but some insurance fraud professionals put the number at $25 billion annually, which is an additional 50% of the reported fraud loss from other types of identity theft. Big number!!

The reason it is so difficult to attain an accurate number is because most measurements revolve around victim surveys. Well, medical identity theft can go undetected for many years and victims usually don't realize that they are victims until unpaid medical bills find their way to the credit report.

Check out the link above for tips on protecting yourself and your family.