However, experts say there isn't just one reason why medical identity theft continues to proliferate. Gaps in the Affordable Care Act and exploitation of EMTALA are only the tip of the iceberg. First, criminals have moved from banking and retail channels into healthcare because of PHI's inherent value. Second, the influx of electronic health record (EHR) systems since the HITECH Act of 2009 has only increased the volume of this data. Add to this the fact that new scamming techniques and strategies change daily-and sometimes even hourly-and you've got a perfect storm of opportunity for a thief. Unlike the financial industry, healthcare is also incredibly dynamic, says Pam Dbcon, executive director at the World Privacy Forum. "The financial services sector can build a gigantic moat, pull up the drawbridge, and lock down the data. Healthcare isn't like that. So many people access this information," she says. As an industry, healthcare is incredibly vulnerable. "The bad guys are very opportunistic, and they're looking for low-hanging fruit," says Christine Arevalo, vice president of healthcare fraud solutions at ID Experts. "More and more, the amount of healthcare data makes it such an attractive target. With very little work, thieves can secure large amounts of valuable data."
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