George Clooney And Medical Identity Theft

Just weeks after George Clooney was injured in a motorcycle accident and taken to Palisades Medical Center, he learned that dozens of employees, including doctors and nurses, have been suspended for accessing his confidential information.

As many as 40 employees are being investigated, and the hospital has suspended 27 employees for a month without pay after being accused of accessing Clooney's medical records and giving that information to the press -- which is a violation of federal law.

In my book, this is more serious than it first appears. There is so much private information contained in your personal medical records that you never want people to get their hands on. Things, like your social security number, your home address, your phone number and of course your medical history. Things that are very private and certainly nobody's business but your own.

Identity theft can be one of your worst nightmares. Imagine someone who can use your credit cards, your social, your driver's license and your insurance card to go on a buying spree. It takes forever to clear up the messes they cause, and in the meantime, your credit rating amongst other things can be ruined. What a horrible violation.

The Wall Street Journal wrote an article warning us about medical identity theft. Because health care costs are so high people are actually stealing your information and are getting drugs and medical treatment under your name.

Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania attorney general's office says "you need to treat your medical ID card as if it were a Visa card with a million-dollar credit limit." Often, it's an inside job where a worker in a hospital or doctor's office steals patients' identities and sells them to criminals.

Mike Stergio, director of Aetna's special investigation unit is currently investigating a case which Aetna was hit with claims totaling $3.5 million over a two-week period for treatments supposedly provided to 400 of its members. Individuals are often unaware their identities have been stolen, since scammers usually change the home address.

So what can you do to protect yourself? The World Privacy Forum web site provides a detailed guide on how to gain access to your medical records and seeks amendments, including sample letters that you can send to your health-care provider. To see that click here.

If your health plan gives you the option to monitor your benefits online, sign up for a password protected account. That way you can keep track each month. If you see a problem contact your insurance company immediately.

You also have to be suspicious of any free medical services or treatments. Unscrupulous people could just be fishing around to grab your information. Always ask questions. Take nothing at face value.

A few more important don'ts. Don't give your insurance information at a free clinic. Don't give your insurance information to telephone marketers. Don't speak loudly when giving out your information at the doctor's office.

You can never be to careful when it comes to protecting your privacy. If it can happen to George, it can happen to you.