HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez is highlighting consumer protection measures and raising awareness about free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services available following Change Healthcare’s data breach in February. In April, Attorney General Lopez, along with other attorneys general, sent a letter to UnitedHealth Group, Inc., the parent company of Change Healthcare, urging them to take significant action to protect providers, pharmacies, and patients affected by the breach.
Change Healthcare is a major electronic data clearinghouse used by numerous providers, pharmacies, and insurers for various administrative tasks essential to healthcare delivery. The cyberattack disrupted operations for many medical facilities and resulted in sensitive health and personal data being leaked onto the dark web. The number of affected patients remains unknown.
Change Healthcare has stated that up to one-third of all Americans could be impacted by the breach. Typically, affected consumers receive individual notifications if their data was compromised; however, Change Healthcare has yet to provide such notices. Attorney General Lopez is therefore publicizing both the breach and available resources.
“We have heard from local medical providers who say the cyberattack did cause issues with access including delayed insurance authorizations and claim reimbursements. While our office is working to address the fallout from the data breach, we encourage those affected by the cyberattack to take advantage of the available resources,” said Attorney General Anne Lopez.
Change Healthcare is offering all Hawaiʻi residents potentially impacted free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years. A dedicated website and call center are available to guide individuals through setting up these protections but cannot confirm whether their data was impacted.
Consumers should watch for warning signs that someone might be using their medical information. For those concerned about their data but preferring not to use Change Healthcare’s resources, a credit freeze can prevent creditors from accessing credit reports, thereby stopping identity thieves from taking out loans or credit cards in their names.
By law, credit bureaus must allow consumers to place or remove a credit freeze for free. Consumers will receive a PIN when they freeze their credit with each bureau—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—which can be used to unfreeze or refreeze their credit as needed.
Attorney General Lopez is joined by a bipartisan group of attorneys general in sharing these consumer protection resources.
Media Contacts:
Dave Day
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
808-586-1284
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov
Toni Schwartz
Public Information Officer
Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
Office: 808-586-1252
Cell: 808-379-9249
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov
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