What type of identity theft occurs when a patient uses another person's name and insurance for healthcare benefits?

Medical identity theft specifically pertains to situations where an individual uses someone else's personal details, such as their name and insurance information, to receive medical services or benefits. This type of theft can have serious implications, including misrepresentation of medical history, inaccurate billing, and potential legal issues for both the victim and the perpetrator. Individuals who engage in this behavior may do so to avoid hospital bills or to gain access to medical care when they do not have insurance or the means to pay for it themselves.

The other types of identity theft, such as financial and criminal, involve different contexts—financial identity theft typically relates to unauthorized access to someone's financial accounts for monetary gain, and criminal identity theft involves using another person’s information to commit crimes. While health identity theft does address the unauthorized use of health information, it is generally a broader term that encompasses various forms of medical identity theft; therefore, "medical identity theft" is the more precise choice in this context.