Massive data breach at Change Healthcare: medical records, social security numbers, and more exposed
Last updated: September 25, 2024 6:58 AM EST
Have you heard of it? Consumer Investigator Brian Roach answers. We first told you about this letter about a month ago when it was first sent out, but now another series of letters are being delivered to victims of the largest breach of medical records in history. This letter is from Change Healthcare, the largest medical payment processing company in the world. This company handles medical billing, and frankly, you probably haven’t heard of this. But your family doctor has definitely heard of it. If you receive a letter like this, it will be addressed to your home address and will include your full name. It will say that your following information may have been accessed: Health insurance data (including insurance card number, medical records, lab results, images); bills; claims and payment data; Social Security number and driver’s license data. This six-page letter is real and legit. It is not a scam. Change Healthcare offers two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection, which is stated in the letter. However, the number of victims involved in this breach has yet to be revealed. We will continue to investigate.
Massive data breach at Change Healthcare: medical records, social security numbers, and more exposed
Last updated: September 25, 2024 6:58 AM EST
A new series of letters is being delivered to victims of the largest ever data breach of medical records. Viewers have been reaching out to the 8 On Your Side team about letters they’ve received. This one concerns a company many people have never heard of: Change Healthcare. Change Healthcare is one of the largest healthcare payment processors in the world and handles medical billing. We first told you about this letter when it was first sent out about a month ago. Here’s what you need to know: What to do if you received a letter about a Change Healthcare data breach Check the letter: The letter is addressed to your home and includes your full name. This is a six-page letter from Change Healthcare and is legitimate communication, not a scam. Know what information was accessed: The letter details the types of personal data that may have been leaked. This includes: Health insurance information (insurance card numbers, medical records, lab results, images, etc.); Billing and payment data related to insurance claims; Sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers and driver’s license details. Services offered: Change Healthcare offers two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection. If you would like to, follow the instructions in the letter to enroll in these protections. Stay updated: The company has not disclosed the total number of victims affected by the breach. Stay tuned for future communications from Change Healthcare for updates.
A new series of letters are being sent to victims of what could be one of the largest medical records data leaks in history.
Viewers have been reaching out to the 8 On Your Side team about letters they’ve received, which concern a company many people have never heard of: Change Healthcare. Change Healthcare is one of the largest healthcare payment processors in the world, and handles medical billing.
We first told you about this letter when it was first sent out about a month ago. Here’s what you need to know.
What to do if you receive a change notice about a healthcare data breach
Review the contents of the letter: The letter was addressed to your home address and includes your full name. This is a six-page letter from Change Healthcare and is a legitimate communication, not a scam. Understand what information was accessed: The letter details the types of personal data that may have been compromised. This includes: Health insurance information (insurance policy numbers, medical records, lab results, images, etc.); Billing and payment data related to insurance claims; Sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers and driver’s license details. Services provided: Change Healthcare offers two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection. Follow the instructions in the letter to sign up for these protections if you wish. Stay updated: The company has not disclosed the total number of victims affected by the breach. Watch for future communications from Change Healthcare for updates.
