Check ID to help avoid patient identity theft

A dental office can be affected by identity theft, and if it occurs, it could involve a significant amount of money. It can happen simply enough, especially when the dental office staff has no reason to suspect that a new patient is using someone else's identification to falsely obtain dental benefit coverage.

However, at some point, a carrier may have reason to investigate a claim payment, possibly because it has received another claim for similar services with the same ID number. An investigation may show that the original claim should not have been paid, in which case, the dental office will be asked to return to the carrier the payment it received. Of course, the dentist can pursue collection from the patient, perhaps even filing a police report. However, if the patient's real identity is not known, the money may not be recoverable.

Dental offices can help avoid becoming victims of such a crime by requesting to see a new patient's photo ID, such as a driver's license, when having the patient complete the other forms typically requested of new patients in the practice. (It is also a good idea to keep a copy of the identification presented in the patient's folder.)