Medical Home Network Provides Notification of Data Security Incident

April 12, 2024 – MHNU Corporation d/b/a Medical Home Network (“MHN”) has learned of a data security incident that may have impacted the personal and/or protected health information belonging to certain current and former members of CountyCare and Wellness West.  MHN received the information for the affected individuals from CountyCare and Wellness West in connection with the services it provides to healthcare providers.

 On or around October 11, 2023, MHN identified suspicious activity within its email system.  In response, MHN took immediate steps to secure its email environment and engaged independent cybersecurity experts to conduct an investigation. As a result of this investigation, MHN learned that an unauthorized actor gained access to two of its employees’ email accounts between October 4, 2023 and October 12, 2023, and potentially viewed and/or acquired certain emails. After a thorough review of the accessed data, on February 5, 2024, MHN determined that personal and/or protected health information belonging to certain current and former members of CountyCare and Wellness West may have been impacted by this incident.  After confirming the identity of the affected individuals, MHN formally notified CountyCare and Wellness West of the incident on February 16, 2024 and coordinated to effectuate notification to affected individuals.

The personal and/or protected health information that may have been involved in the incident varied by individual but included the following: first/last name, patient ID, phone, date of birth and medical information. 

As soon as it discovered the incident, MHN took the steps referenced above. MHN takes the security and privacy of personal and protected health information in its possession very seriously and is taking additional steps to prevent a similar event from occurring in the future.

To date, MHN is not aware of any evidence of the misuse of any information potentially involved in this incident. However, on April 16, 2024, MHN started mailing notice of this incident to potentially impacted individuals for which MHN had identifiable address information. In this notification letter, MHN provided information about the incident and about steps that potentially affected individuals can take to protect their information.

MHN has established a toll-free call center to answer questions about the incident and to address related concerns. Call center representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Central Time and can be reached at 1-800-939-4170.

While we are not aware of the misuse of any affected individual’s information, we are providing the following information to help those who want to know more about steps they can take to protect themselves and their personal information:

 What steps can I take to protect my personal information?

  • If you detect any suspicious activity on any of your accounts, you should promptly notify the financial institution or company with which the account is maintained. You should also promptly report any fraudulent activity or any suspected incidents of identity theft to proper law enforcement authorities.
  • Obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, directly from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies.  To do so, free of charge once every 12 months, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting agencies is listed below.
  • Please notify your financial institution immediately of any unauthorized transactions made or new accounts opened in your name.
  • You can take steps recommended by the Federal Trade Commission to protect yourself from identity theft. The FTC’s website offers helpful information at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

What should I do to protect myself from payment card/credit card fraud?

We suggest you review your debit and credit card statements carefully for any unusual activity.  If you see anything you do not understand or that looks suspicious, you should contact the issuer of the debit or credit card immediately.

How do I obtain a copy of my credit report?

You can obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, directly from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. To order your credit report, free of charge once every 12 months, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting agencies is also included below:

Equifax

P.O. Box 105851

Atlanta, GA 30348

1-800-525-6285

www.equifax.com

Experian

P.O. Box 9532

Allen, TX 75013

1-888-397-3742

www.experian.com

TransUnion

P.O. Box 1000

Chester, PA 19016

1-800-916-8800

www.transunion.com

Free Annual Report

P.O. Box 105281

Atlanta, GA 30348

1-877-322-8228

www.annualcreditreport.com

How do I put a fraud alert on my account?                                       

You may want to consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report.  An initial fraud alert is free and will stay on your credit file for at least one year.  The alert informs creditors of possible fraudulent activity within your report and requests that the creditor contact you prior to establishing any accounts in your name.  To place a fraud alert on your credit report, contact any of the three credit reporting agencies identified above. Additional information is available at http://www.annualcreditreport.com.

How do I put a security freeze on my credit reports?

You also have the right to place a security freeze on your credit report. This will prevent new credit from being opened in your name without the use of a PIN number that is issued to you when you initiate the freeze.  A security freeze is designed to prevent potential creditors from accessing your credit report without your consent. As a result, using a security freeze may interfere with or delay your ability to obtain credit. You must separately place a security freeze on your credit file with each credit reporting agency. A security freeze may be placed or lifted free of charge.    

You may make that request by certified mail, overnight mail, or regular stamped mail, or by following the instructions found at the websites listed below. The following information must be included when requesting a security freeze (note that if you are making a request for your spouse, this information must be provided for him/her as well): (1) full name, with middle initial and any suffixes; (2) Social Security number; (3) date of birth; (4) current address and any previous addresses for the past five years; and (5) any applicable incident report or complaint with a law enforcement agency or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The request must also include a copy of a government-issued identification card and a copy of a recent utility bill or bank or insurance statement. It is essential that each copy be legible, display your name and current mailing address, and the date of issue. You may obtain a security freeze by contacting any one or more of the following national consumer reporting agencies:

Equifax Security Freeze PO Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com

Experian Security Freeze PO Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com

TransUnion (FVAD) PO Box 2000 Chester, PA 19022 1-800-888-4213 www.transunion.com

 Additional Free Resources:

You can obtain information from the consumer reporting agencies, the FTC or from your respective state Attorney General about steps you can take toward preventing identity theft.  You may report suspected identity theft to local law enforcement, including to the FTC or to the Attorney General in your state.