Identity theft brings CPS into woman's life

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Imagine how you would feel if out of nowhere you gets a call from child protection services informing you that the child you just gave birth to tested positive for methamphetamine.

That was the case for Annadorie Sachs.

Describing how she felt, Sachs called it, "Panic, absolute panic." 

Panic was then followed by confusion, as Sachs, a mother of four,had not birthed a child in over two years. Once she looked into the telephone call, she realized she had been the victim of medical identity theft. The thief used Sachs’ name and medical insurance to pay for it.

Over 300,000 Americans are victims of medical identity theft in 2009 according to the Federal Trade Commission.

“We have definitely seen an increase in medical identity theft over the past year,” said Jennifer Trussell, director of investigations for the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

An alleged drug abuser who was pregnant in 2006 was found to have stolen Sachs’ driver license and obtained her medical information and used that to give birth under Sachs’ name.

However, for Sachs, it was anything but easy to convince medical investigators she was not the person who had given birth.

“I said I had not recently had a baby, that my youngest were 2 years old. I said come meet me and you’ll know that I didn’t have a baby,” said Sachs.

Despite that, investigators still made her life very difficult, questioning her employers and interrogating her children.

Joe Ryan can relate to Sachs’ ordeal; he received a more than $40,000 bill for a surgery he never had.     “The hospital actually thought I was going to make this $44,000 payment and I was proving to them I have no scars from a surgery,” Ryan said. “And they said,’ No, we’re going to go ahead and pursue this.’ And I was in disbelief. I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’”

 It seems medical identity thieves are getting more courageous and better organized.

“We have heard reports of receptionists specifically sent in by some of these identity theft rings to do nothing more than steal identities,” Trussell said.

The woman who used Sachs’ medical information eventually was charged. Sachs is concerned the same thing could repeat itself and she has installed new locks and alarm system in her home.

Sachs also has this to say regarding her ordeal: “I mean the hospital didn’t want to help me. The police didn’t want to help me. You are really on your own with this.”

The Federal Trade Commission says medical identity theft occurs when someone, without your knowledge or permission, uses your identity to receive medical treatment. It can have significant consequences for victims. Medical records can be changed and display inaccurate information. According to the FTC, this may prevent you from receiving proper medical treatment and insurance benefits.

 

 

1.       Pay close attention to information in your credit report. Make sure if there are any medical debts listed are yours.

2.       Monitor any explanation of benefits that insurers send to you. If anything appears to be incorrect, contact the insurer for a full explanation.

3.       At least once a year, request and review all the benefits that have been paid in your name by your insurance plan.