Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown says a February data breach of Change Healthcare could impact thousands of Maryland residents.
Change Healthcare is a unit of UnitedHealth used as an electronic database by tens of thousands of doctor’s offices, hospitals, pharmacies to authorize and verify a wide range of medical insurance claims.
According to Brown, the cyberattack interrupted operations for thousands of healthcare providers.
Although it's unclear how many people are affected, the hack could result in sensitive health data being leaked onto the dark web, a hidden portion of the internet where cyber criminals buy, sell, and track personal information. Impacted clients have not yet been notified, Brown says.
In the meantime, Change Healthcare is offering two years of free identity theft protection for all Maryland residents who feel they could've been impacted.
For information, visit Change Healthcare Consumer support page - UnitedHealth Group .
To enroll in credit monitoring through IDX, use the link at Change Healthcare Consumer support page - UnitedHealth Group or call 1-888-846-4705.
The Attorney General has provided a list of signs that could mean you were impacted.
- A bill from their doctor for services they did not remember receiving;
- Errors in their Explanation of Benefits statement, like services they never received or prescription medications they do not take;
- A call from a debt collector about a medical debt they do not owe;
- Medical debt collection notices on their credit report that they do not recognize;
- A notice from their health insurance company indicating they have reached their benefit limit when they haven’t; or
- They are denied insurance coverage because their medical records show a pre-existing condition they do not have.
"Any Marylander who receives a suspicious email, phone call, or text from their healthcare provider or insurance company should refrain from sharing their personal information until they have separately confirmed the caller or writer is their actual doctor or insurance company," said Brown. "If Marylanders are concerned that their data may have been impacted but prefer not to use the free resources provided by Change Healthcare, they can also consider freezing their credit."
A credit freeze prevents banks or lenders from being able to approve loans or credit card applications, which in turn stops identity thieves from taking out new loans or credit cards in your name.
When freezing your credit with the three major bureaus, each will send a PIN number that will allow the user to unfreeze their credit in the event they want to apply for a loan or line of credit.
Below is how you can reach each credit bureau.
Most Popular
Comments / 0