Protecting Your Privates 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. ********************************************
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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. ******************************************
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(if you can't open here use the HTML links listed below) ******************************************** 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 |
