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In a twist on identity theft, crooks are using personal data stolen from millions of Americans to get health care, prescriptions and medical equipment. Victims sometimes only find out when they get a bill or a call from a debt collector. They can wind up with the thief’s health data folded into their own medical charts. A patient’s record may show she has diabetes when she doesn’t, say, or list a blood type that isn’t hers—errors that can lead to dangerous diagnoses or treatments. Adding insult to injury, a victim often can’t fully examine his own records because the thief’s health data, now folded into his, are protected by medical-privacy laws. And hospitals sometimes continue to hound victims for payments they didn’t incur. (Armour, 8/7)

The fast-growing crime of medical identity theft is being fueled by the proliferation of electronic medical records and a sharp increase in data breaches at insurers and health care providers. ... Five things to know about medical ID theft and how to prevent it. (Armour, 8/7)