
You may be wondering what the topics of identity theft and healthcare have in common. Allow me to explain. When you establish care with a provider, there are key pieces of information they need, including your name, address, date of birth, driver's license and (usually) your social security number. Understandably, they need this information to verify your identity and utilize for billing purposes. However, this information also happens to be the perfect grouping for identity thieves looking to steal your identity.
While your actual provider likely has no intentions to share this information, the storage of that information and the staff and ancillary personnel who have access to it can pose a problem for you. Since you simply cannot be sure who has seen your information or will have access to it in the future, I recommend considering enrolling in a credit monitoring service. I walk my clients through these options because you simply cannot take your health, or the security of your personal information, for granted.