SAN DIEGO — When Rose Sosa received the $113,424 medical bill from Scripps Health she was blown away, but not because of the costliness, because she was not a patient, another woman had taken her identity and was treated at Scripps Memorial in La Jolla.
In November 2022, Sosa, a mother of four, opened an email from Scripps notifying her that there was a change to her medical file on her online portal.
However, Sosa hadn't received any medical care at the hospital since having her baby at Scripps La Jolla six months prior in May 2022.
Sosa says she logged onto the Scripps portal to find an array of new services from lab work, and X-rays, as well as a list of other procedures that had been performed beginning two days prior after the patient was injured falling from a horse.
She then did what anyone else would do, Sosa called the hospital in hopes of clearing up what was an obvious error or glitch in the computer system.
"I let them know that this wasn't me, and whatever they were doing was not on me," said Sosa. "They asked for my name and then said, 'Oh, wow, like, someone is in here with your name."
Sosa then was asked to confirm her identity.
She sent a photo of her driver's license.
"Naturally, the signatures didn't match, and I was told it was obvious that they didn't," said Sosa.
But that wasn't all.
"She is and she looks way older than me and looks to be in her mid-50s," said Sosa. "She's also taller than me, She's five-four and I'm short, like five-feet."
That wasn't all. Sosa's medical record also showed that she just had a baby. The patient was older and was not asked if she recently gave birth.
By the end of the conversation, Sosa said the staff confirmed this was a case of identity theft. However, when asked what needed to be done, they told Sosa they could no longer discuss the matter due to confidentiality concerns for non-family members.
Sosa is not alone when it comes to medical identity theft. According to California's Attorney General's Office as well as the Office of the Inspector General, medical identity theft is a growing concern across the state and the country.
Both the state attorney general and the Office of Inspector General released guides on what victims of medical identity theft should do.
Like so many other victims, however, Sosa was unsure what to do. She filed a police report with the Chula Vista Police Department as well as a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
"It's very confusing. You know, you're just like, 'What am I supposed to do?' So I'm looking online trying to find out what the heck the steps are," said Sosa. "It was overwhelming."
The following month, in December 2022, Sosa received a bill from Scripps Health in the mail.
She opened it to see a $113,424 medical bill. After deductions from Sosa's insurance company, the amount totaled just over $56,000.
As for Sosa's reaction, "I was like, that's not me. What am I supposed to do? They expected me to still pay this after I contacted them. I've told them numerous times. I've emailed them. I've done what I was supposed to do but I'm still getting billed and my insurance was charged."
Despite her objections and the proof it was not her, Scripps Health continued to send Sosa bills.
In addition, Sosa's medical chart still had the imposter's medical information in her account, some of which included substance abuse issues and PTSD.
By April, after six months of bills, late notices from collection agencies, and phone calls, Sosa convinced Scripps to deduct the entire amount.
But Sosa worries it is too little too late and the changes to her medical history could impact future medical decisions.
"God forbid, but what if I ever need a transplant of some sort or some major procedure and her medical condition is in my record? Your mind just goes everywhere once something like this happens."
Sosa contacted attorney Cory Teed from Golden Cardona-Loya in Bonita in hopes of ensuring that Sosa is protected. Earlier this month, Teed filed a lawsuit on Sosa's behalf.
Teed, who specializes in identity theft cases, says his firm has seen a rise in medical identity theft cases.
"After the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an increase in identity theft issues. It is important for all consumers to closely monitor their financial accounts, medical accounts, and credit reports and to act quickly if they notice any suspicious activity or fraudulent accounts that do not belong to them," Teed told CBS 8.
While Sosa tells CBS 8 that she will make sure that she is prepared for the next time it happens, she says the imposter caused so much grief and still does to this day.
"It's not fair. You [the imposter] took so much from me mentally and emotionally, that I want to cry. You took away my bonding with my baby, and that's important to me. Like, it's the mommy-baby moment. I feel that it was very selfish. Granted, I mean, I don't know what her situation was and I hope she gets the help that she needs."
Scripps Health declined to comment citing privacy issues and due to pending litigation.