As a way to fight the crime of medical identity theft, some doctors and hospitals are starting to ask for ID when patients check in to receive medical care. This is a protection for patients. Because the Federal Trade Commission has recently released what are called “Red Flags” rules to combat identity theft, some changes are being made by, not only the medical field, but banks and other institutions as well. These changes are required to be put in place by November 1, 2009 by the FTC, so the next time you go to the doctor or the hospital, you might be required to provide your ID at check in. Patients should not consider this an aggravation, but rather a protection of their medical file and their credit.
Many individuals in need of medical care, have received it at the expense of someone else by providing a false identity. This results in high medical bills being created and ultimately the responsibility of the victim.
