SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Many in the Ozarks have asked whether a Change Healthcare letter is real. It is.
The letter is a notice of a data breach. CHC works for doctors, health insurance plans, and other health companies. The letter says that in February, CHC found activity in its computer system that happened without permission. In March, CHC learned that a cybercriminal was able to see and take copies of some data, including name, address, date of birth, phone number, and email. Hackers also took information on health insurance data like test results, treatments, and payment information.
What’s a patient to do?
Check your credit report. Head to annualcreditreport.com. You can get credit monitoring. You might have to pay for it, but there are free online services, and your credit card probably offers it, too.
Freeze your credit. Freezing your credit is a way to be proactive. Data breaches seem to be popping up all the time. Freezing your credit is one way to prevent people from taking that information and applying for credit in your name. If you’re happy with your house and spouse, freeze. This means that if you don’t plan to open a new line of credit anytime soon, block the credit line. This stops scammers from trying to open a credit card in your name.”
“It’s something anyone can do. It doesn’t cost anything,” said Pamela Hernandez of the Better Business Bureau. “It’s a great thing to do to give you more peace of mind.”
Freeze or lift the freeze on your credit report for free by contacting each of the three major credit reporting agencies:
You can submit your request online, by phone, or by mail. Remember, if you decide to buy a car or get a loan, you’ll need to thaw that freeze.
You can place a free fraud alert on your credit file. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before they open any new accounts.
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