This story sparked snickers around the world last week (from The Orange County Register):
A woman accused of stealing another woman's identity so she could trade in her breast implants for new ones and liposuction has turned herself in to police.
According to Lt. Gary Faust of the Huntington Beach, Calif. police department, Yvonne Pampellonne used a stolen identity to open a line of credit in September of 2008. She gave a false name and other identifying information to the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery and received $12,000 worth of self-improvements. The practice became suspicious and called police when Ms. Pampellonne failed show up for her follow up appointments the OC Register notes.
PCPS was lucky. Not only did they react quickly to unusual patient behavior, but they were able to track her down using the ID numbers on the implants she traded in. The story was attention getter and Pampellonne's face was soon posted next to the type of headlines that tend to run with this sort of story. She turned herself in on March 24.
While the first reaction to this story might be laughter, practice managers might also feel a twinge of unease. Under the Red Flag Rules that kick in on May 1, healthcare organizations could be liable if they unwittingly treat a patient who committed ID theft in order to receive services. One of the rule's requirements might have discouraged Ms. Pampellonne: Providers will need to ask their patients for photo ID.
More on the Red Flag Rule...