Affinion Security Center announces availability of new features in its IdentitySecure service

Sep 17 2009

Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection services, today announced the availability of new features in its IdentitySecure service to help members detect and resolve one of the most damaging types of identity theft: medical identity theft.

The consequences for this type of identity theft can be grave if personal health records containing inaccurate information are used by health care providers in providing treatment. The World Privacy Forum has called medical identity theft, "the information crime that can kill you."

According to a 2008 ITRC survey, some of the reasons that medical identity theft is particularly damaging to victims include:

• Roughly a third of victims of medical ID theft surveyed had someone else's medical information or medical history on their medical record, increasing the possibility of patients being treated incorrectly because of incorrect medical records.
• More than 10% of victims of medical ID theft surveyed were denied health or life insurance for unexplained reasons.
• More than two-thirds of victims surveyed receive a bill for medical services that were provided to an imposter.

Affinion Security Center has developed IdentitySecure medical identity theft member benefits which directly address recommendations from the World Privacy Forum and the Federal Trade Commission. The new benefits include guidance and form letters that make it easy for members to take the necessary steps to detect possible medical identity theft. The benefits include an Explanation of Benefits Statement request form, a Medical Records request form and a Medical Information Bureau request form.

"The increasing shift toward online health records can lead to additional opportunities for tech-savvy criminals to steal a person's medical identity," said Thomas Rusin, president and CEO of Affinion Security Center. "There is no silver bullet for detecting medical identity theft, but with the enhancements we've added to IdentitySecure, members can feel confident that they are taking every available step to uncover possible fraud."

The new medical identity theft benefits supplement existing IdentitySecure benefits which help members detect various forms of identity theft, such as triple-bureau credit monitoring and public record monitoring. The benefits are designed to alert members to any unpaid medical bills in their name from hospitals, doctors or other health providers.