International Law

Alberta Commissioner launches investigation into medical identity theft

This is the first Canadian case of "medical identity theft" or impersonation that I've seen widely reported:

CBC News - Calgary - Mistaken identity case sparks investigation

Alberta's privacy commissioner has announced an investigation into the "Golo" identity case.

Golo is the nickname of a man who was admitted into Foothills Hospital, died on May 21, 2009, and then was buried in a Calgary cemetery, all under someone else's identity.

He allegedly used an Alberta Health Care card stolen from a casual acquaintance.

The investigation will examine "what steps are reasonable to take to ensure health information is accurate and complete before it is used by a health services provider," according to a news release from the information and privacy commissioner's office.

A report will be released to the public once the investigation is completed.

Calgary police are still trying to determine Golo's identity.

Full post as published by The Canadian Privacy Law Blog on August 27, 2010 (boomark / email).