The intentional submission of false claims is the core of health care fraud, and the intentional misuse of personally identifying information is the core of identity theft. Medical identity takes elements from both crimes: medical identity theft is the intentional misuse of personally identifying information to receive medical goods or services, and it usually involves the creation of false medical records, or false entries into existing medical records.

Victims of medical identity theft may need help with recovery in the area of correcting medical files and insurance records. They may also need help in the area of correcting financial information. In the area of financial recovery, multiple excellent resources exist for consumers. But in the area of medical and insurance information correction and recovery, victims will not find nearly the same resources or availability of recourse.

The HIPAA legislation and privacy rule were written at a time when medical identity theft was not foremost on the minds of policymakers. While health care fraud as a general issue was definitely on lawmakers minds (as is evidenced by the specific anti-fraud provisions in HIPAA), medical identity theft and its specific consequences were not.

-DATA BREACHES AND MEDICAL IDENTITY THEFT
-THE NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK AND MEDICAL IDENTITY THEFT
-CURRENT AUDIT SYSTEMS DO NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM
-DIGITAL SECURITY ISSUES IN THE NHIN AND OTHER HIGHLY DIGITIZED, VIRTUALIZED ENVIRONMENTS
-PHYSICAL SECURITY ISSUES IN A MEDICAL ENVIRONMENT

-THE NECESSITY OF A COMPREHENSIVE RISK ASSESSMENT
-LEGITIMATE DRUG TRIALS AND MEDICAL RESEARCHERS NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES FROM FRAUDSTERS
-FURTHER STUDY: GETTING A GRASP OF THE SIZE, SCOPE, INCIDENCE OF THIS PROBLEM IS CRUCIAL