MIFA » Publications

Study: Healthcare Industry Investments to Fight Medical Identity Fraud

Ann Patterson — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 17:42:40 +0000

2015 Healthcare Industry Investments to Fight Medical Identity Fraud

MIFA conducted a survey of its members and associates to better understand investments the healthcare industry is making to detect, prevent and mitigate medical identity theft and fraud. Analysis of the results from the 2015 Healthcare Industry Investments to Fight Medical Identity Fraud study paper will help us better understand investment approaches taken by companies in the healthcare industry in terms of dealing with identity theft and fraud. provides the following findings.

Results indicate the healthcare industry is trending upward for investments in technology, processes, programs and human capital to detect, prevent and mitigate medical identity theft and fraud.

Key Findings:

1. Technology investments garnered the highest dollar amount for budget allocations to detect, prevent or mitigate medical identity fraud.

2. Spending is not necessarily completely aligned with strategic priorities. While personnel and human resources/talent ranked highest in priority by 72 percent of respondents, spending is led by IT systems.

3. There is a slight upward trend in spending to detect, prevent and mitigate medical ID theft and fraud has decreased in only 4.17 percent of respondents.

4. Detection systems lead IT spending over prevention and mitigation. Nearly half of respondents listed detection systems as half or more of their total IT budget, compared to just 23% indicating they allocated half or more of their budget to prevention systems.

Thank you to our Working Group Members who supported this project

MIFA Members and Partners, contact Ann Patterson for your complimentary copy. If you are unsure if your company is a member or partner, please see our roster.

To obtain a copy of this report, please make a donation, of any amount, to support our mission to reduce medical identity theft and fraud. You will be directed to the paper after your donation.

ID Experts: Fifth Annual Benchmark Study on Privacy and Security of Healthcare Data

Ann Patterson — Mon, 25 May 2015 13:55:30 +0000

MIFA founding member ID Experts, has released the study Fifth Annual Benchmark Study on Privacy and Security of Healthcare Data, which reveals a shift in the root cause of data breaches from accidental to intentional.

Criminal attacks are up 125% compared to five years ago replacing lost laptops as the leading threat. The study also found most organizations are unprepared to address new threats and lack adequate resources to protect patient data.

Access the study, Fifth Annual Benchmark Study on Privacy and Security of Healthcare Data.

2014 Fifth Annual Study on Medical Identity Theft

Ann Patterson — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 10:00:36 +0000

2014 Fifth Annual Study on Medical Identity Theft

The 2014 Fifth Annual Study on Medical Identity Theft measures the prevalence, extent and impact of medical identity theft to consumers and the healthcare industry in the United States. The study was sponsored by the Medical Identity Fraud Alliance (MIFA) with support from MIFA Founding Member companies Kaiser Permanente, ID Experts Corporation, Experian Data Breach Resolution and Identity Finder, LLC, and conducted by the Ponemon Institute.

The incidence of medical identity theft continues to rise. This most recent report shows that it has nearly doubled since the first study five years ago. In 2014, there were almost 500,000 more victims than in 2013.

The out-of-pockets costs to victims has also grown, with twice as many victims experiencing financial costs to correct their medical identities and deal with the resulting problems.

And victims continue to experience serious risks related to their healthcare as a result of being victimized, such as misdiagnosis, mistreatment and delayed healthcare.

Given the high volume of medical records and personal information leaked by healthcare providers and payers, organizations are now more focused on reducing how much unprotected PHI they store and shrinking the target hackers go after so that fewer patients are exposed to the risks of medical identity fraud. Identity Finder was glad to participate in a study that explains what the implications of that unprotected data are for users—and the companies who provide services.— Todd Feinman, CEO, Identity Finder LLC

Thank you to our Sponsoring Members

We especially thank our sponsors for their support of the 2014 Fifth Annual Study on Medical Identity Theft and for their commitment to keeping consumers safe through the prevention, detection and mitigation of this growing problem.

MIFA Members and Partners, contact Ann Patterson for your complimentary copy. If you are unsure if your company is a member or partner, please see our roster.

To obtain a copy of this report, please make a donation, of any amount, to support our mission to reduce medical identity theft and fraud. You will be directed to the paper after your donation.

Experian Data Breach Resolution releases its second annual data breach industry forecast

Ann Patterson — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 21:02:21 +0000

Look for more attacks on the cloud, continued vulnerability in the healthcare industry and the Internet of Things as an emerging breach target, among other trends in 2015.

COSTA MESA, Calif., Dec. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Preventing and managing data breaches have become two of the highest priorities facing businesses today. To help executives plan ahead, Experian Data Breach Resolution announces the release of its second annual Data Breach Industry Forecast, a white paper outlining key issues and trends to watch for in 2015.

Many evolving factors such as new threats, regulatory changes and technological advances make the data breach landscape difficult to navigate. After handling more than 3,000 data breaches this year and with a decade of experience in the industry, Experian Data Breach Resolution will share six key predictions in the white paper. This latest forecast highlights legislative and medical identity theft topics as well.

The white paper addresses several data breach industry topics:
– The rise — and fall — of payment breaches
– The persistent and growing threat of healthcare breaches
– A fresh breach surface via the Internet of Things

Click here to read the full press announcement.

To download the complimentary white paper, go to the Experian website here.

December 1, 2014, PRNewswire

Experian Data Breach Resolution And The Ponemon Institute Release Study Findings About eHealth Usage And Attitudes

Robin Slade — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 18:29:17 +0000

MIFA founding member Experian, has released the study Risks & Rewards of Online & Mobile Health Services: Consumer Attitudes Explored, which examines consumers’ perceptions about sharing their personal information when using online health services and mobile apps.

Read the full press announcement.

Access the study, Risks & Rewards of Online & Mobile Health Services: Consumer Attitudes Explored.

2013 Survey on Medical Identity Theft

Ann Patterson — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 02:30:07 +0000

Medical identity theft has become a national healthcare issue with life-threatening consequences; and is currently the fastest-growing type of identity fraud. The 2013 Survey on Medical Identity Theft sponsored by the Medical Identity Fraud Alliance (MIFA) and conducted by the Ponemon Institute with support from ID Experts provides insight into the growing problem of medical identity theft. This fourth year of the study outlines the victim experience, including consequences to this crime.

Special thanks to many of our Founding Members for their support of this research and their leadership in the prevention, detection and remediation of medical identity theft.

The newer 2014 Fifth Annual Study on Medical Identity Theft is also available, click here.

MIFA Members and Partners, contact Ann Patterson for your complimentary copy. If you are unsure if your company is a member or partner, please see our roster.

To obtain a copy of this report, please make a donation, of any amount, to support our mission to reduce medical identity theft and fraud. You will be directed to the paper after your donation.

The Growing Threat of Medical Identity Theft: A Call to Action

Ann Patterson — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 05:30:13 +0000

Today, very few professionals or consumers are aware of medical identity theft and its’ potential for harm. Policy decision-makers, organizations that hold Protected Health Information (PHI), law enforcement, regulatory agencies and consumer facing groups now have an opportunity and obligation to bring this serious societal problem to the forefront and work together to protect the public.

MIFA Members and Partners, contact Ann Patterson for your complimentary copy. If you are unsure if your company is a member or partner, please see our roster.

To obtain a copy of this report, please make a donation, of any amount, to support our mission to reduce medical identity theft and fraud. You will be directed to the paper after your donation.