Clark Howard's Tips

Hospitals running credit checks before treatment

April 8, 2008

Should you list your Social Security number on a medical form? Clark does not. Medical record numbers have replaced Social Security number on insurance cards in an effort to stop ID theft. Why would you open yourself up to it again?

A Wall Street Journal reporter recently found that some hospitals now require Social Security numbers at registration. The facilities then quietly run your credit using an outside source that gives a proprietary rating to gauge your likelihood to pay for service.

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Some hospitals are even turning away urgent but non-emergency patients deemed to be credit risks. Unfortunately, many hospitals doing this are non-profit facilities that have a duty and mission to provide care to those who can't pay. So they get non-profit status, but they ignore their core values.

Your credit can help or hurt you in so many ways. Think about this: Clark recently froze his credit. Does that mean he might be temporarily denied service until his records can be thawed?

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