Identity theft is big business these days. It cost $221 billion in losses in 2003, and that number is said to be skyrocketing at a rate of 300 percent a year. The new HIPAA “privacy” legislation isn’t going to do much to protect you, either. Part of the rationale behind the bill was to ensure online security of your records when they get converted into electronic form. But earlier this year at the University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, over 7,000 patient records were obtained by hackers, possibly with the intent of stealing patients’ identities.
We’ve talked about the ins and outs of keeping your medical records private, but this one is a doozy. Apparently, more than one employee at a facility that has legal access to your medical records has been caught putting those records to use for their own illegal gain. What’s more disconcerting – these are people with no prior criminal record who have easily gotten through background checks.
The question isn’t are you being too paranoid, but rather how can you protect yourself? And I’m afraid there’s no easy answer. But here are a couple of steps to consider taking:
1.) Take a look at your medical insurance card. Does it reference your social security number as part of your identification number? This is a big no-no, but many of them do. Remove it from your wallet, perhaps just writing down the phone number for the claims department and keeping that on hand instead in case of emergency. Since emergency treatment can’t be withheld due to lack of proof of insurance, there’s no need to carry this card around with you and risk that it would get into the wrong hands should your wallet be lost or stolen. (This advice goes for anything carrying your social security number). A hospital or other health care provider can always call and verify your policy if necessary.
It also wouldn’t hurt to complain to your employer and your insurance company about this practice, in hopes that they might remove this information or consider using a different system down the road.
2.) Signing away your information, as well as your privacy. When you sign the HIPPA forms at the doctor’s office, you are signing what’s called a “blanket waiver,” which extends to “any physician, hospital or other medical provider to release to [insurer] any information regarding my medical history, symptoms, treatment, exam results or diagnosis.” You can take back some control and revise the waiver to be more specific, such as “I authorize my records to be released from [the particular hospital, clinic or doctor you’re visiting] for the [date of treatment] as relates to [the condition treated].”
For example, pharmacies, laboratories, and other providers that are not doctor’s offices can be less secure, and you may want to limit their access to your records, if possible. Basically, this step helps you maintain veto power over who gets to see your records. It could slow or, in some cases, stall your treatment – and give you quite a headache in the process. But perhaps not as much of a headache as spending the average $5,000 and five years it takes most identity theft victims to clean up the damage inflicted on their lives from the crime.
3.) Pay as you go. This is probably the least popular – but the most secure – measure you can take to keep your records safe from would-be identity thieves. The only reason that medical providers need some of your identifying information, such as your social security number, is to be able to submit your claim to your health insurer. However, if you pay as you go, and submit the claim forms yourself, you will have more control over who gets what information.
Be aware that in some cases, this may result in being denied treatment. However, if you establish a relationship with your physician’s office and they understand your concerns, they may be willing to work with you.
The unfortunate truth is that these measures amount mostly to risk reduction, not the guarantee of safety that we would all like for our privacy – not to mention our credit history, bank accounts, and very identity. For a very detailed review of privacy concerns and your rights, check out a nonprofit group called the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse at www.privacyrights.org. They offer comprehensive information and many more tips for keeping your “privates” private.
Warts and all
Q: My teenage daughter has plantar warts on her feet, and occasionally her fingers and hands, too. Her father likes to tease her about the toad-like qualities of her boyfriend, but to my daughter, they are very embarrassing, not to mention painful. Can you give me any suggestions to pass along to her? Also, what causes them in the first place? I never had them myself, and am at a loss of what to tell her.
JVW: Plantar warts are the result of a viral infection in the skin. Walking barefoot in littered or dirty areas, or using common shower or bathroom facilities, even spending a lot of time in or around a public swimming pool, will put you in a higher risk group. Technically, only the warts on her heels are considered plantar warts, but all the warts are related to the same virus.
The good news is, there’s an extremely low tech and cost-effective way to get rid of them using duct tape, believe it or not. In fact, some physicians were so surprised by this treatment that they conducted a study to prove its effectiveness. Duct tape won out over cryotherapy (“freezing” the wart off) at 85 percent effectiveness vs. just 60 percent.
Just cut the duct tape to the size of the wart and stick it on for six days. Then, remove the tape, soak the wart in water, and “buff” it with an emory board or a piece of pumice stone. Twelve hours later, apply new tape. Repeat this cycle until the wart disappears. You can put a band-aid over the duct tape to disguise it or to keep it on if it keeps falling off.
Another home remedy worth considering uses food-grade peroxide (34 percent H2O2). Twice a day, soak a cotton swab in the peroxide and press it against the wart until the wart and a tiny margin of skin around it turn white. It could take up to three weeks to see results, but eventually, the wart should start to blacken and will fall off. Keep in mind, though, that food-grade peroxide can be a hazardous substance and should be used with care and kept out of reach of younger children.
It’s also worth mentioning that once the warts are gone, practicing proper prevention will help keep them from returning: Maintain good foot hygiene, always wear foot covering, and pay extra attention to diet and nutrition. Having raised children through their teenage years myself, I know this last recommendation might be the hardest to make stick. But your daughter – like the rest of us – will be more resistant to any virus if she is eating right, getting enough rest, and paying close attention to the signals her body sends her about her health.
What is plantar faciitis?
You probably don’t think about your heel much – until it hurts. Then, it’s the only thing you CAN think about. Dr. Wright’s Q&A today reminded me of another painful foot condition, plantar fasciitis.
This common cause of heel pain occurs when the thick ligamentous band that is attached from the heel to the ball of the foot becomes inflamed or even starts to tear at the point of attachment. It can cause anything from moderate to severe pain.
When the pain is most acute, applying ice, elevating your heel, and decreasing your walking and standing can offer relief. In the longer term, gentle stretching exercises to strengthen the band, wearing custom-made orthotics, placing heel pads in your shoes, or even wearing a 2-inch heel, can provide some relief.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
“Fact Sheet 17 – Coping with Identity Theft: Reducing the Risk of Fraud,” Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (www.privacyrights.org), accessed 8/3/04
Focht DR, et al. “The efficacy of duct tape vs cryotherapy in the treatment of verruca vulgaris (the common wart).” Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156(10): 971-974
