Medical identity theft is on the rise and expected to worsen, the Wall Street Journal reports. The problem has grown during the recession as more uninsured people use the coverage of a friend, relative, or even a stranger to get care. Of particular concern is the fact that most of the fraud is committed by people who pay medical workers for patients' information. In one case, a front-desk clerk at a medical clinic in Florida downloaded the personal information of more than 1,100 Medicare patients and gave it to a cousin, who made $2.8 million in false Medicare claims.
