N.H. Medicare data possibly exposed after errant email attachment
New Hampshire residents may have had their personal information exposed after the state Department of Health and Human services accidentally included an attachment in an email to health care providers.How many victims? 9,300 people enrolled in prescription drug program Medicare Part D.
What type of personal information? Names, addresses, Social Security numbers.
What happened? The state agency errantly included the attachment in Dec. 1 emails to health care providers, such as nursing homes, home care providers and case managers. The emails were intended to update these 61 providers on changes to Medicare Part D, a prescription drug plan for the elderly and disabled.
What was the response? The department, which set up a hot-line to answer calls, encouraged victims to monitor their credit report. Also, officials have asked the email recipients to delete it.
Details: There is no evidence any of the data has been misused.
Source: concordmonitor.com, Concord (N.H) Monitor, "Medicare data accidentally breached," Dec. 18, 2008.
