The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (AGO) issued an announcement last week to inform consumers who may have had their personal information breached in Change Healthcare's cyberattack this past February. The AGO was joined by a bipartisan group of state attorneys general in sharing these consumer protection resources.
Change Healthcare is the nation's biggest electronic data clearinghouse. Tens of thousands of providers, pharmacies, and insurers use its technological infrastructure 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.
In April, Attorney General Andrea Campbell joined other attorneys general in sending a letter urging more meaningful action to better protect providers, pharmacies, and patients harmed by the recent breach. In particular, the AGO noted that Change Healthcare has not yet provided individual notice of the breach to consumers.
The AGO stated that given the time between the data breach and notification to those impacted, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office is publicizing the breach and available consumer resources, including the offer that Change Healthcare has provided to the public.
Change Healthcare is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protections to all Massachusetts residents who believe they may have been impacted for two years. The dedicated website and call center can guide individuals through setting up free credit card monitoring and identity theft protections. Still, they will not be able to provide individuals with details about whether their data was impacted.
Because the actual number and identity of affected patients are not yet known, the AGO encouraged all consumers to be aware of and utilize the following resources:
- Learn more about the cyberattack at Change Healthcare Consumer support page - UnitedHealth Group.
- Enroll in free credit monitoring through IDX at Change Healthcare Consumer support page - UnitedHealth Group or by calling 1-888-846-4705
- Be aware of potential warning signs that someone is using
their medical information. The signs include:
- Receiving a bill from their doctor for services they did not receive;
- Errors in their Explanation of Benefits statement like services they never received or prescription medications they do not take;
- Receiving a call from a debt collector about a medical debt they do not owe;
- Medical debt collection notices on their credit report that they do not recognize;
- Receiving a notice from their health insurance company indicating they have reached their benefit limit; or
- Being denied insurance coverage because their medical records show a pre-existing condition they do not have.
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Originally published 15 July 2024
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