Transformation to electronic health records (EHR) has made patient records more vulnerable to data breaches. The top causes of medical data breaches that compromised PHI included theft, computer hacking, error by third-party custodians, and human negligence. Theft can be from an insider working at a health care facility who abuses their access privileges to information. Such employees seek information for the purpose of committing fraud. Theft can also be attempted by an outsider who can physically enter the organization and steal equipment such as laptops, smartphones, servers or USB drives. Data breaches by way of hacking is gaining popularity. This is evident from the recent cyber-attack on Anthem's information technology system. Hackers
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Healthcare consumers are the primary victims who experience loss of privacy and confidentiality, improper denial of insurance, loss of credit rating, loss of time and money, and impaired health resulting from inaccurate treatment (McNabb & Rhodes, 2014). A medical identity thief can cause incorrect information to be associated with the victim's health history. Since health care providers rely on medical history for diagnosing and treating patients, incorrect medical information can impair a provider's ability to treat the patient. For example, an incorrect blood type or drug allergy entered into a victim's chart can have disastrous consequences for the victim, particularly in emergencies. An imprecise medical history associated with the identity thief can also impact the cost and availability of health and life insurance by making a victim appear to be at a higher-risk than he or she actually is. Moreover, due to medical identity theft, the victim could be billed for services that were not received. Insurance companies can also deny to pay for medical care needed by the victim if the victim’s records show that it has already been provided to the thief. Additionally, time and money spent by the victims to correct their records is enormous. According to Downing, 2014 the average out of pocket expenses incurred by victims amounted to $18,660, and in a few cases exceeded to $100,000 (p.50), for reimbursement services, legal fees, and identity protection services. The impact of medical identity theft on healthcare providers, insurance companies, and local and national agencies are also huge and accounts for legal, financial, and public image
Healthcare consumers are the primary victims who experience loss of privacy and confidentiality, improper denial of insurance, loss of credit rating, loss of time and money, and impaired health resulting from inaccurate treatment (McNabb & Rhodes, 2014). A medical identity thief can cause incorrect information to be associated with the victim's health history. Since health care providers rely on medical history for diagnosing and treating patients, incorrect medical information can impair a provider's ability to treat the patient. For example, an incorrect blood type or drug allergy entered into a victim's chart can have disastrous consequences for the victim, particularly in emergencies. An imprecise medical history associated with the identity thief can also impact the cost and availability of health and life insurance by making a victim appear to be at a higher-risk than he or she actually is. Moreover, due to medical identity theft, the victim could be billed for services that were not received. Insurance companies can also deny to pay for medical care needed by the victim if the victim’s records show that it has already been provided to the thief. Additionally, time and money spent by the victims to correct their records is enormous. According to Downing, 2014 the average out of pocket expenses incurred by victims amounted to $18,660, and in a few cases exceeded to $100,000 (p.50), for reimbursement services, legal fees, and identity protection services. The impact of medical identity theft on healthcare providers, insurance companies, and local and national agencies are also huge and accounts for legal, financial, and public image