OSC Guardian - Safety Advice

OSC GUARDIAN - SAFETY ADVICE
www.OramSecurity.com

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Identity Theft.... but what about Medical Identity Theft?

While you're probably well aware of identity theft and its impact on your credit, you may not be aware of a type of identify theft that can be even more harmful to you personally -- medical identity theft.
Medical identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your knowledge or consent to obtain, or receive payment for, medical treatment, services, or goods. Victims of medical identity theft may find that their medical records are inaccurate, which can have a serious impact on their ability to obtain proper medical care and insurance benefits.
 To detect medical identity theft, consider the following steps:
  • Closely monitor any “Explanation of Benefits” sent by public or private health insurers. If anything appears wrong, raise questions with the insurer or the provider. Do not assume that there are no problems simply because you may not owe any money.
  • Once a year (or more often, if you believe there is cause for concern), request a listing of benefits paid in your name by any health insurers that might have made such payments on your behalf.
  •  Monitor your credit reports with the nationwide credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to identify reports of medical debts.
You also have rights under federal law that can assist you in correcting inaccurate medical records. These rights are described in greater detail at www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa. They include:
  • The right to request copies of your current medical files from each health care provider.
  • The right to have your medical records amended to remove inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • The right to an accounting of disclosures – a record of who has been given access to your medical records – from your health care providers and health insurers. This is very important in tracking down where inaccurate information may have been sent.
  • The right to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights at the federal Department of Health and Human Services if a health care provider does not comply with these rights. In addition, many hospitals have ombudsmen or patient advocates who may be able to help you obtain medical records or provide access to information.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Security Training Companies Scamming Job Seekers!

The security field can be interesting, fulfilling, and financially stable.  It has many areas for growth.  I have been in the industry for over 17 years, ranging from security officer all the way through Branch Manager and independent consultant.   With that being said, entering the field with no experience, the likely hood of finding a great paying entry position is low.  With the current economic times and many people looking for work, the number of scams out there has risen.  The article below is a good example of why you should read the fine print of a contract before handing over your money.

NEW YORK, NY (WABC) -- Job seekers beware about a job you have to pay for.

These days jobs are at a premium, so an ad that contains the headline "Immediate Openings" is a welcome sight. But instead of getting a job, 2, out of work New Yorkers, say they got taken for hundreds of dollars, and got no job. It's an expensive lesson, that just might save you big bucks.
"It was like taking money, ripping it up, and throwing it in the toilet." That was Brian Molatto's reaction after answering an ad that ran in his local paper. It touted immediate openings for security guards. It even listed an hourly salary range.
Brian says a rep from C.P. International gave him the good news. But before being hired, Brian says he had to pay nearly $400 for training to be a security guard. But after passing the course? Brian says he got no job.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=7053322

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Woman accused of using cruise line job for burglaries

This is a perfect example of how a monitered alarm system could make the diffrence between a burglarie that happens and one that almost happens.

Miami, Florida (CNN) -- A former Royal Caribbean Cruise Line employee has been arrested and charged with burglarizing the homes of 24 vacationers who were spending time at sea.


http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/06/11/vacationers.burglarized/index.htmleref=rss_topstories...&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29