Will ObamaCare make things easier for identity thieves?

Identity theft is a rising problem in America as identity thieves continue to rely upon old techniques and scams as well as develop new ones to acquire consumer's personal information. Identity fraud statistics reveal that someone becomes a victim of identity theft every few seconds. There are many things you can to do to help lower the risk of identity theft, but what happens when the choice is taken out of your hands?

Consider how many institutions have your personal information, such as banks, credit card issuers, and medical facilities. Not to mention any business you engage in transactions with that keep your personal information in a database. You are relying on those organizations and businesses to keep your data safe and secure. While many are consistently successful, you'd be surprised at how common security breaches occur.

The ObamaCare Data Hub: How Secure Is It?

Soon, millions of Americans will provide the federal government with personal information in regards to the Affordable Health Care Act. The collected data is intended to be organized and stored on one massive database, being referred to as the ObamaCare Data Hub. Some are worried that the privacy of this information may be easily compromised and subject to breaches. The controversy and concern about the supposed identity theft cracks in ObamaCare is especially concerning because in addition to medical ID fraud, the amount of information collected can lead to many other types of identity theft.

Even more worrisome, some individuals may not even realize that they are a victim for quite some time, as unless you have an ongoing credit monitoring service, the signs to spot identity theft may not be visible for some time.

Medical ID Fraud Prevention

With identity theft on the rise, and a large percentage of identity theft related to health care breaches, it is more important than ever for companies to be vigilant in securing consumer's personal information. However, currently the security testing for the Hub is behind schedule, leading many to speculate that the Hub will be woefully unprepared for medical ID fraud prevention.

One of the major criticisms of the Hub regarding identity theft cracks in ObamaCare is that all the information will be contained in one place, making it very attractive to all sorts of hackers, scammers and thieves.

So while you may not be able to prevent an identity thief from breaching the Hub and using your data for fraudulent purposes, you can engage in your own medical ID fraud prevention to catch any incidence of identity theft early and prevent extensive damage. The first thing you must become aware of are the signs to spot identity theft. Secondly, it is a good idea to monitor your credit regularly so that you can quickly spot any suspicious activity in your credit report.

Can I Keep My Information Out of the Hub?

Currently, the exchange is scheduled to open on October 1st, but at this current point in time, if it does open on that date, it appears it will do so without the benefit of proper security in place. To be fair, if your information is in the Hub, it doesn't necessarily mean you will become a victim of identity theft. And those that do may not know it for some time, and may not even be able to trace the incident back to the fault of the Hub.

Amidst all these concerns regarding rising identity theft statistics and the identity theft cracks in ObamaCare, you are probably wondering if you can elect to keep your information out of the Hub. If you wish to see if you are eligible for the Affordable Health Care Act, then the answer is no. But if possible, you can probably at least wait until such a time that the Hub employs better security practices and procedures to keep your information safe, should that time ever come.

Amy Johnson is an active blogger who is fond of writing articles on identity theft and helping people to protect against identity theft. Follow her on Twitter to know more on will obamacare make things easier for identity thieves.