Securing your health insurance identification card is as important as protecting your credit cards. Information on the I.D. card may be used to file false claims, or used as part of a scheme to steal one’s identity.
As there is no industry standard when it comes to health insurance identification cards, some insurers and government agencies issue one card at policy inception, and nothing come annual renewal. Many health and auto insurance companies issue new I.D. cards each year. It is at this time that a shredder is of utmost importance.
You may have noticed the last few years that most health care providers ask for a picture I.D. in addition to your health insurance information. This is because health insurance fraud is big business. The identity thief will go to almost any length to gather information in their pursuit of stealing an identity. We have all learned not to place outgoing mail clipped to our mailboxes for the mail delivery person, an easy target for the drive-by thief. But the bad guy adapts, and now goes “fishing” at the nearest post office box… even outdoor boxes at the post office itself. “Fishing” is done by using a long stiff wire with a sticky substance at the end, placing the wire inside the post office box and fishing out envelopes.
Creating an online account with the insurance provider will allow you to print a duplicate card if necessary. More importantly though, an online portal will allow you to track claims and possibly spot suspicious activity.