Discovering that someone received medical care in your name demands two cleanups at once: the bills and the medical records. Follow this checklist to handle both.
Step 1: Get everything in writing from the provider. Contact the hospital, clinic, or pharmacy’s billing and fraud departments. State in writing that the services were not yours, and request that the account be closed and any collection activity stopped.
Step 2: Request your medical records. Ask each involved provider for copies of the records under your name. Review them for treatments, diagnoses, or prescriptions that are not yours — these need correction, not just dispute.
Step 3: Demand corrections in writing. Send each provider a written request to correct or flag fraudulent entries in your medical file. Keep copies and request written confirmation of each correction.
Step 4: Notify your insurer. If your insurance was billed, alert your health plan’s fraud department. They can flag your account, reissue ID numbers if needed, and help unwind fraudulent claims.
Step 5: File your FTC report. Complete the report at IdentityTheft.gov, selecting the medical identity theft options. Your Identity Theft Report supports disputes with providers, insurers, and collectors alike.
Step 6: Consider a police report. Medical identity theft is a crime like any other identity theft. A police report number strengthens your disputes and your requests for record corrections.
Step 7: Check your credit reports. Medical bills from fraud frequently go to collections. Pull all three credit reports, dispute every fraudulent medical collection, and place freezes or fraud alerts to prevent repeat misuse.
Step 8: Monitor your Explanations of Benefits. Going forward, read every EOB. Unknown treatments or providers are the earliest warning that medical identity theft has returned.
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