“Understanding Health Care Data Breaches and How to Respond”

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Protect Yourself from Health Care Data Breaches

Having your records stolen in a health care data breach can lead to severe financial consequences. If scammers access your medical information, they can impersonate you to obtain medical services, open credit accounts, access your bank accounts, obtain drugs illegally, and even blackmail you with sensitive personal details.

Financial Impact of Health Care Data Breaches

Victims of health care data breaches often face significant financial burdens. According to the FTC, the average cost to fix problems related to stolen data is $600. However, the Ponemon Institute reports that health care identity theft victims spend nearly $13,500 dealing with fraudulent medical bills and other issues.

Consequences of Health Care Data Breaches

Victims may be denied care, coverage, or reimbursement by their insurers, have their policies canceled, or suffer damage to their credit ratings. In extreme cases, they may face threats of losing custody of their children, drug trafficking charges, difficulty finding employment, or even job termination.

What Is a Health Care Data Breach?

Health care data breaches occur when hackers infiltrate the computer networks of medical providers. Medical information can also be stolen by medical workers or accidentally exposed through poor office procedures and security.

Why Medical Data Is Valuable

Medical data is highly valuable to fraudsters. While a stolen credit card number might sell for a few cents, medical files can be worth up to $1,000 each, according to Mariya Yao, CTO and Head of Research & Design at TOPBOTS.

Information Targeted in Health Care Data Breaches

Hackers seek information that can be used to impersonate you and obtain medical treatment or drugs. This includes:

• Your Medicare or insurance policy numbers
• Your identifying information, such as Social Security number and birth date
• Your medical history and that of your family
• Your billing and payment information

Signs of Medical Identity Theft

Be alert for signs that your medical data may have been compromised, such as:

• Unexpected medical bills or statements
• Calls from debt collectors about medical debts you don’t owe
• Unrecognized medical collection notices on your credit report
• Denial of insurance due to incorrect medical records

Steps to Take If You’re Part of a Health Care Data Breach

To protect yourself, monitor your medical and financial accounts for suspicious activity. Check your credit reports regularly and consider placing fraud alerts or credit freezes on your accounts.

How to Recover from a Health Care Data Breach

If you discover your medical information has been stolen, follow these steps:

1. Gather Documents and File Reports

Collect your credit report and any relevant statements. File an Identity Theft Report with the FTC and report any stolen Medicare or Medicaid information.

2. Collect Current Copies of Medical Records

Obtain current copies of your medical records from all providers and insurers. Review them for unauthorized treatments or prescriptions and ensure all personal information is correct.

3. Request Corrections

Report any incorrect information in your medical records and request corrections in writing. Keep copies of all correspondence and follow up to ensure corrections are made.

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