What does medical identity theft involve?

Medical identity theft specifically involves the illicit use of another individual's personal and insurance information to obtain medical services, medications, or benefits. When someone uses another person's insurance for healthcare, they can access treatments or prescriptions without the legitimate policyholder’s consent, potentially leading to significant complications such as billing errors, healthcare complications, and the individual's medical record being altered with inaccurate information.

This type of crime can have far-reaching consequences not only for the victim whose identity is stolen but also for the healthcare system as a whole, as it can impact care continuity and quality. It’s important in the context of medical ethics and law to understand this very specific form of identity theft and the ramifications it carries, which is why this option accurately represents the core of medical identity theft.