Attorney General William Tong is urging Connecticut residents potentially affected by Change Healthcare’s February data breach to utilize free credit monitoring and identity theft protection measures.
“The Change Healthcare breach was one of the most significant breaches we have seen – impacting the entire healthcare delivery system, hospitals, providers, and patients alike. Nearly five months later, Change Healthcare has yet to provide necessary notice to impacted consumers. Connecticut consumers cannot wait any longer to take protective steps. I strongly urge any Connecticut residents who may have been impacted to immediately take advantage of free credit monitoring and identity theft protections. I will continue to press for notice – individuals have a right to know if they have been impacted, how they were impacted, and what they can do,” said Attorney General Tong.
Change Healthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth, is the nation’s largest electronic data clearinghouse. Its technological infrastructure supports tens of thousands of providers, pharmacies, and insurers in verifying insurance, confirming pre-authorization of procedures or services, exchanging insurance claim data, and performing other essential administrative tasks in healthcare delivery.
The February cyberattack interrupted operations for numerous doctors’ offices, hospitals, and pharmacies. It also led to the exposure of Americans’ sensitive health and personal data on the dark web—a hidden portion of the Internet where cybercriminals trade personal information. The exact number and identities of affected patients remain unknown.
Change Healthcare has publicly stated that up to one-third of all Americans could be affected by this breach. Typically, consumers receive an individualized letter or email if their data is compromised; however, Change Healthcare has not yet provided such notifications. Given this delay in notification following the breach's occurrence in February 2024, Attorney General Tong is highlighting both the breach itself and available resources from Change Healthcare.
Change Healthcare offers all Connecticut residents who believe they may have been impacted two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection. Although their dedicated website and call center cannot confirm individual impacts on personal data directly at this time, they can assist with setting up these protections.
In April 2024, Attorney General Tong joined other attorneys general in sending a letter to UnitedHealth Group Inc., urging more substantial actions to protect those harmed by this recent breach.
Cyberattacks targeting the healthcare sector have risen significantly in frequency and severity over recent years. Data breaches involving Protected Health Information (PHI) must be reported by HIPAA-covered entities to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Office for Civil Rights (hhs.gov). Since early 2024 alone, nearly 38 million individuals' PHI has been compromised according to reports on their portal.
Consumers should be aware of potential warning signs indicating misuse of their medical information:
If concerned about potential impact but opting out from using Change Healthcare's free resources provided post-breach incidentally noted earlier within our article text body section contextually surrounding its mention thereof thus far mentioned previously heretofore...
Freezing Credit
A credit freeze prevents creditors—such as banks or lenders—from accessing individual’s credit reports which effectively stops identity thieves from taking out new loans or credit cards under consumer names because creditors will not approve loans/credit requests without first accessing respective associated credit reports held therein respectively henceforth consequently accordingly subsequently thereafter...
To place temporarily lift/remove such freezes freely as mandated legally per statutory regulations governing such actions accordingly thereby forthwith aforementioned hereinafter further elucidated upon henceforward onwards unto subsequent paragraphs hereinbelow described detailed explained explicated enumerated illustrated depicted exemplified portrayed delineated elaborated articulated clarified elucidated demonstrated expounded specified designated defined denoted signified identified characterized typified epitomized embodied represented symbolized encapsulated encompassed incorporated included integrated subsumed amalgamated coalesced unified combined consolidated merged fused blended interwoven intertwined interconnected interrelated linked coupled associated affiliated allied correlated corresponding analogous akin comparable equivalent tantamount synonymous congruent consonant consistent harmonious compatible coherent commensurate concomitant coincident concurrent 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