New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued a consumer alert to inform residents about free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services available in the wake of the Change Healthcare data breach. In February, Change Healthcare, which operates the nation’s largest electronic healthcare payment system, experienced a cyberattack that exposed the personal information of millions of patients, including many New Yorkers.
Attorney General James has urged UnitedHealth Group Inc., the parent company of Change Healthcare and the nation’s largest health insurer, to enhance its efforts to protect those affected by the breach. Currently, Change Healthcare is offering all New York residents free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for two years.
“The disastrous cyberattack on Change Healthcare leaked the personal information of millions of Americans and made them vulnerable to bad actors,” said Attorney General James. “While UnitedHealth and its subsidiary work to address the fallout from the cyberattack, I urge everyone who believes their information may have been compromised to use the free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to protect themselves. Companies should not treat strong data security as an afterthought; it is necessary to protect New Yorkers from fraud, and my office will continue to ensure companies take this responsibility seriously.”
The cyberattack disrupted healthcare services at thousands of doctors’ offices, hospitals, and pharmacies and leaked sensitive health and personal data onto the dark web. Change Healthcare estimates that up to one-third of all Americans could be impacted by this breach.
Since Change Healthcare has not yet notified affected individuals, Attorney General James encourages everyone to use the free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services available for two years. Consumers can enroll online or by calling 1-866-262-5342.
Consumers should be aware of potential warning signs that someone is using their medical information:
- Bills for medical services they did not receive.
- Errors in their Explanation of Benefits statement.
- Calls from debt collectors about medical debts they do not owe.
- Medical debt collection notices on their credit report that they do not recognize.
- Notices from their health insurance company about reaching benefit limits.
- Denials of insurance coverage due to inaccurate pre-existing conditions.
For those concerned about their data but preferring not to use the provided services, freezing your credit is another option. A credit freeze prevents banks or lenders from accessing your credit report without permission. This can stop identity thieves from taking out new loans or credit cards in consumers' names.
To place a credit freeze:
- Experian: Online or call +1 (888) 397-3742
- Equifax: Online or call +1 (888) 766-0008
- TransUnion: Online or call +1 (800) 680-7289
Consumers can report concerns related to the Change Healthcare cyberattack by contacting the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) at 1-800-771-7755 or filing a complaint online.