Attorney General Ellison shares resources available to consumers following the Change Healthcare cyberattack
July 10, 2024 (SAINT PAUL) – Attorney General Keith Ellison is sharing consumer protection reminders and raising awareness about the availability of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services following Change Healthcare’s February data breach. In April, Attorney General Ellison led a bipartisan coalition of 22 attorneys general in sending a letter to UnitedHealth Group, Inc. — the nation’s largest health insurer and the parent company of Change Healthcare — urging the corporation to take more meaningful action to better protect providers, pharmacies, and patients harmed by the recent breach.
Change Healthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth, is the nation’s biggest electronic data clearinghouse. Change Healthcare's technological infrastructure is used by tens of thousands of providers, pharmacies, and insurers to verify insurance, confirm pre-authorization of procedures or services, exchange insurance claim data, and perform other administrative tasks essential to the delivery of health care.
This was an unprecedented data breach. The February cyberattack interrupted operations for thousands of doctors’ offices, hospitals, and pharmacies. It also resulted in Americans’ sensitive health and personal data being leaked onto the dark web - a hidden portion of the Internet where cyber criminals buy, sell, and track personal information. The actual number and identity of affected patients are currently unknown.
Change Healthcare has publicly stated that the data breach could impact up to one-third of all Americans. Typically when there is a data breach impacting Minnesotans, consumers receive an individualized letter or email if their data was impacted. However, Change Healthcare has not yet provided individual notice to consumers. Given the delay between the data breach and notification to those impacted, Attorney General Ellison is publicizing not just the breach but also resources including the offer that Change Healthcare has provided to the public.
“The recent data breach at Change Healthcare is unprecedented and could affect millions of Minnesotans,” said Attorney General Ellison. “I encourage everyone to avail themselves of the free credit monitoring and identity theft protections being offered by Change Healthcare, and to be on the lookout for signs that bad actors have access to their personal and medical information.”
Change Healthcare is offering Minnesota residents who believe they may have been impacted free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years. The dedicated website and call center will not be able to provide individuals details about whether their data was impacted but can guide them through getting set up for free credit monitoring and identity theft protections.
Since Change Healthcare has not yet provided notice to individuals and given that this impact is very significant it would be safest for everyone should assume that their information has been involved.
Consumers should be aware of potential warning signs that someone is using their medical information:
If consumers 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 placing a credit freeze on their accounts.
A credit freeze prevents creditors—such as banks or lenders—from accessing individual’s credit reports which will stop identity thieves from taking out new loans or credit cards in consumer’s names because creditors will not approve their loans or credit requests if they cannot first access their credit reports. By law a credit bureau must allow you place temporarily lift or remove a credit freeze for free.
When consumers freeze their credit with each bureau they will send them a personal identification number which can then use PIN unfreeze apply loan card again after applied loans card Individuals have freeze Experian Equifax TransUnion
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