Thousands of Hudson Valley Patients’ Data Stolen; Are You Affected?
Thousands of Hudson Valley residents are being warned that some of their private medical information may have fallen into the hands of hackers.
Patients have begun receiving letters informing them of a security breach that allowed an unauthorized party to access files on the medical provider's computer systems.
The breach happened at Premier Medical Group of the Hudson Valley earlier this summer, but patients are just now learning exactly what information may have been exposed.
Premier Medical Group Reports Patient Data Breach
According to a letter sent to patients, Premier Medical Group first became aware of an incident that disrupted some of its IT systems in June. The company says it immediately took steps to secure its network, brought in third-party forensic experts and notified law enforcement.
An investigation later determined that an unauthorized party accessed files on Premier Medical Group's systems on June 14. However, it wasn't until July 14 that investigators were able to determine what information may have been contained in those files.
According to Premier Medical Group, the compromised files may have included patients' names, contact information, dates of birth, health insurance information, provider names and internal patient identification numbers.
Even more concerning, the files may have also contained dates of service, medication information and treatment or diagnostic information.
The letter does not indicate that Social Security numbers or financial account information were involved.
Were You Affected by the Premier Medical Group Breach?
Premier Medical Group is one of the Hudson Valley's largest medical practices, with offices throughout Dutchess, Ulster and Orange counties. Patients who receive a letter from the company are being notified because their information may have been included in the files that were accessed.
The company says it is continuing to implement additional safeguards and security measures and will provide security training to employees in an effort to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
For now, patients are being urged to carefully review statements from their healthcare providers and health insurance companies. If you notice a medical service listed that you never received, Premier Medical Group says you should immediately contact the provider or your insurance company.
Anyone with questions about the security incident can contact a dedicated response line established by Premier Medical Group at 888-650-4197.
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