More than 3K East Texans part of potential data breach due to Health and Human Services email issue

(KLTV) - The Texas Health and Human Services Office of Communications Press Officer Jennifer Ruffcorn shared information on Monday that nearly 3,400 East Texans have potentially had their personal information disclosed.

Ruffcorn said that the protected health information and sensitive personal information of 3,392 people living in or near Tyler, Texarkana, Longview, Marshall, Beaumont and Nacogdoches was involved. She said that on Jan. 11, 2024, HHSC discovered that a staff member had emailed spreadsheets to their personal email account between September and October 2023.

On Feb. 2, 2024, HHSC determined that the spreadsheets contained confidential information such as full names, home addresses, telephone numbers, health information, services, financial information, Medicaid ID numbers, and at least one individual’s social security number.

Ruffcorn said that HHSC took immediate steps to mitigate a potential breach by investigating the reported privacy incident, identifying the confidential information involved and referring the incident to the Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General for investigation. She said the agency is not aware of any instance of unauthorized disclosure or misuse of the personal information. However, it is possible that the personal information may have been acquired or viewed by an unintended recipient.

HHSC is providing one year of free credit monitoring services to individuals affected by the breach, Ruffcorn said. Individuals affected by the potential disclosure were notified via first-class mail. Anyone who believes they may have been affected, can call 833-918-7750, toll-free, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST (excluding major U.S. holidays). When calling, use the Experian engagement number B117866.

HHSC is committed to ensuring confidential information is secure. In addition to staff being required to perform security and cybersecurity training annually, HHSC is taking actions to remind staff of their responsibility to protect confidential information, she added.