Medical identity theft is the act of someone using your personal information for their medical purposes. This is extremely dangerous and you should be aware of the risks involved.

Medical identity theft is seldom reported or investigated and that makes it easier for people to commit this type of crime. If your medical records are compromised then it can have potentially fatal results. Whether it is being given the wrong medications or the wrong type of blood, this is one type of theft you can't afford to allow to happen to you or your family. In an emergency your medical records may be all the doctors have to determine the right treatment for you

Another potentially fatal effect from this may be the doctor withholding life saving medications because of the other person's medical history. If the doctor is unsure of which patient is in front of him, then he may be hesitant to give certain medications to prevent further complications even though it could be very helpful to you.

Doctors may label you as a drug seeker due to the other person's medications being confused as yours. If this happens it may affect you ability to obtain certain medications or you could even lose you job and be investigated by the police. If you work in the medical field you could even lose your license to practice.

Insurance fraud is probably the most common reason people practice medical identity theft. This allows them to use your insurance information to obtain medical care. Not only may the premiums of your insurance go up but you could be billed with co-pays and even the services that were not covered by your insurance. Also if your insurance is limited then it may not be available if you need to use it.

If you can't or don't pay the bills that are in your name then you may be held legally responsible and can even be sued. If you are sued and still do not pay then they may garnish your wages. This can also negatively affect your credit rating and prevent you from buying a house or even a car. If you apply for a job that checks you credit rating you may be disqualified because of this as well.

Another reason people commit medical identity theft is to obtain government benefits that are rightfully yours. This may include social security and disability. Once they are drawing these benefits it can be very hard to prove to the government that these benefits rightly belong to you and your family.

There are several identity theft insurance companies available to help protect your identity. At the very least, if you don't want to go through a company, then you should always be aware of what is in your medical records and know what is in your credit report. You should also keep close watch on your insurance and never let anyone have your personal information.

Once your medical identity has been stolen it may takes years to put things back right. You may incur legal fees and you will have to prove that you are the rightful owner of your own identity and not the person who has stolen it from you.