SELECTSHRED | SHREDDING IN STUART SHREDDING IN PALM CITY
SELECTSHRED-WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MEDICAL IDENTITY THEFT
The raw numbers are staggering, as reported by the Ponemom Institute, that an estimated 1.84 million victims in the U.S. are affected by medical identity theft and that out-of-pocket medical costs incurred by medical identity theft victims are more than $12 billion. However, the consequences of medical identity theft are not only an inconvenience of money, time, and effort. The Ponemon Institute said that when personal medical records are compromised, it can result in misdiagnoses, wrong treatments or wrong prescriptions. These inaccurate medical records are all difficult to correct and threaten lives. It is also suggested that we become victims of medical identity theft by sharing personal health records with family members or friends or that these same individuals take this information without consent. http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/medical-identity-theft-numbers-grow
Medical identity theft is about more than the hassle of time and cost to fix a credit report and get our lives back because our identity was stolen. The inaccurate information in our medical records can cost our lives. We are urged to check the explanation of benefits and report any unfamiliar claims. We already know that we should never throw any medical records in the trash where dumpster divers can take the information for criminal use of our sensitive information. It is always prudent to shred any documents with our names, addresses, social security numbers, and health insurance numbers as well as all confidential information that can be misused in the wrong hands.
For all of us that are concerned about our safety and security, from Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Rio, Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Sewall’s Point, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens, remember that we should never think twice about properly shredding and discarding our confidential documents because the risks are too great not to do so. Not only is a good credit history at risk but our own lives are at risk when medical identity theft is involved.
Richard & Gloria Kinkead
SelectShred, Inc.
T: (772) 463-3166
