Medical identity fraud: When your patient isn’t who they say they are
Imposters may be after controlled medications — or information to harm the real patient.
GPs are being urged to be on the alert for patient imposters.
The warning was issued by Avant, which says cases of Medicare identity fraud are starting to emerge in Australia, with potentially “catastrophic” consequences.
“Victims of medical identity theft have reported experiencing misdiagnosis and treatment delays,” Avant said on its website.
“Some report living in fear of being given the wrong blood type or counter-indicated medication due to inaccurate information in their patient record.”
