Protecting Your Medical Identity

Medical identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. It’s a crime that affects everyone: patients, health care providers and health plans. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), medical identity theft occurs when someone uses another person’s name or insurance information to get medical treatment, prescription drugs or surgery.

Indiana University Health has a strong commitment to keep our patients’ health information private and safe. We have policies and procedures in place to detect potential medical identity theft, or “Red Flags,” and respond appropriately to prevent and lessen the effects to our patients.

Some signs that you may be a victim of medical identity theft:

• You receive a bill for medical services not provided to you;
• You are contacted by a debt collector about medical debt you aren’t aware of;
• You see medical collection notices on your credit report that you don’t recognize;
• You are told by your health plan that you have reached the limit on your benefits; or
• You are denied insurance because your medical records show a condition you don’t have.

If you believe you are a victim of medical identity theft, report it as soon as possible via Indiana University Health’s TrustLine at 1.888.Trust36 (888.878.7836) at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You may also contact us at hipaa@iuhealth.org or 317.963.1940. All reports are thoroughly investigated by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare compliance professionals who are committed to responding to suspected medical identity theft at Indiana University Health.

Please visit the Federal Trade Commission's website for more information on medical identity theft.