Mediko, Inc. Provides Notice of Data Privacy Event

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mediko, Inc. ("Mediko") is providing notice of an event experienced by CorrectCare, a third-party medical claims administrator used by Mediko for claims processing, that may affect the privacy of information related to incarcerated individuals who received medical care through Mediko between January 1, 2012 and July 7, 2022. To date, neither Mediko nor CorrectCare have any evidence of actual or attempted misuse of information as a result of this incident. In an abundance of caution, Mediko is notifying potentially impacted individuals so that they may take additional steps to better protect their personal information, should they feel it is appropriate to do so. This notice provides details of the incident and steps those who may be impacted can take to protect against possible misuse of their information.

What Happened? On July 6, 2022, CorrectCare discovered that two file directories on its web server had been inadvertently exposed to the public internet. The CorrectCare team quickly remediated the Incident and secured the file directories within nine hours. Correct Care also promptly engaged a third-party cybersecurity firm to conduct an investigation to analyze the nature and scope of the Incident, and to determine whether any patient information may have been exposed. CorrectCare determined patient information contained in these file directories may have been exposed as early as January 22, 2022, and thereby subject to unauthorized access. CorrectCare first notified Mediko of this Incident on September 1, 2022 and provided more information as it became available.

What Information Was Involved? Although they have no evidence that any personal information was actually accessed, viewed or acquired without permission, Mediko and CorrectCare are providing notification of the incident out of an abundance of caution. The patient information affected included name, date of birth, and limited health information, such as a diagnosis code and/or CPT code, treatment provider, and dates of treatment, and may have included Social Security numbers. Please note that the patient information stored in the file directories did not include driver's license numbers, financial account information, or debit or credit card information.

What Are CorrectCare and Mediko Doing? Upon learning of this incident, CorrectCare promptly began an investigation with the assistance of third-party cyber security specialists to confirm the nature and scope of this incident. They also have taken and will continue to take steps to prevent a similar occurrence. Correct Care has been working with outside cyber security specialists and has implemented specific steps to safeguard against future exposure of PHI and PII. CorrectCare is mailing notice letters to the impacted individuals associated with Mediko for whom they have a current mailing address. Mediko is notifying the appropriate state and federal regulators.

What You Can Do. Mediko encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review account statements, and explanation of benefits forms, and to monitor free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Under U.S. law individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Individuals may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of their credit report, place a fraud alert, or a security freeze. Contact information for the credit bureaus is below.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a "credit freeze" on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer's express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. To request a security freeze, you may need to provide the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft.

Should you wish to place a fraud alert or credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For More Information. If you have questions or concerns, please contact our dedicated assistance line at (844) 700-1314, toll-free Monday through Friday from 8 am – 10 pm Central, or Saturday and Sunday from 10 am – 7 pm Central (excluding major U.S. holidays).

SOURCE Mediko, Inc.