Medical Mutual Provides Notice of Data Incident

Insurance Weekly News

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Medical Mutual of Ohio (Medical Mutual) is taking action after recently discovering that an email containing personal information belonging to a portion of its Medicare Advantage members was inadvertently sent to an incorrect email address.

Although there is no indication of actual or attempted misuse of member information, Medical Mutual is notifying individuals whose records were or may have been subject to unauthorized access and providing these individuals with information and resources that can be used to better protect against the possibility of identity theft or fraud. The company is also informing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and state regulators about this incident.

To better assist members who may have been affected by this event, Medical Mutual has established a toll-free privacy line. Individuals familiar with this incident are on hand and can provide information on how to better protect against the possibility of identity theft and fraud. All questions and concerns may be directed to this line by calling (877) 271-4091, between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays. What Happened On July 19, 2017, Medical Mutual discovered that an email containing personal information belonging to a portion of its Medicare Advantage members was inadvertently sent to an incorrect email address. This information was received and assessed by an unauthorized third party on July 19, 2017. Upon learning of the incident, Medical Mutual immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party forensic investigators. Through this investigation, Medical Mutual learned of several additional emails containing member information that were inadvertently sent to incorrect email addresses between February 2016 and July 2017. Medical Mutual has taken steps to prevent additional emails from being sent to inaccurate email addresses and domain names in the future.

It has been confirmed that the unauthorized third party had access to the contents of the emails containing information which may include members' names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, treatment and diagnosis information, health insurance information, medical treatment, and prescription information. Only 15 Social Security numbers were involved, and there is no evidence the information in the emails has been misused in any way. Fraud Prevention Tips Medical Mutual encourages affected members to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing their account statements, medical bills and health insurance statements regularly for suspicious activity. Anyone with questions regarding how to best protect themselves from potential harm resulting from this incident, including how to receive a free copy of one's credit report and place a fraud alert or security freeze on one's credit file, is encouraged to call (877) 271-4091, between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays. About Medical Mutual of Ohio Founded in 1934, Medical Mutual of Ohio is the oldest health insurance company based in Ohio. For more than 80 years, the company has served customers with high-quality, affordable group and personal health insurance plans, and third-party administrative services to self-insured group customers. As a mutual health insurance company, Medical Mutual is unique in that it operates for the benefit of its members. For more information, visit the company's website at MedMutual.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170915005834/en/

Keywords for this news article include: Medicare, Legal Issues, Health Policy, Health Insurance, Insurance Companies, Medical Mutual of Ohio.