Avamere Health Services avamere.com Avamere Health Services data breach: what happened and what to do
Avamere Health Services, a senior care and rehab provider, reported a 2022 breach. HHS lists 229,460 people affected, with names, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, diagnoses and medication data involved. Network access began January 19, 2022.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 19 Jan 2022
- Made public
- 27 Jun 2022
- Affected
- 229,460
- Data exposed
- Names, Physical addresses, Dates of birth, Driver's licenses, Social security numbers, Claims information, Financial information, Diagnoses, Lab results, Medication data
- Last updated
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
Avamere Health Services works with senior living and rehab providers, so this breach reached people through the care facilities that use its network.
What happened
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Avamere reported that its network provider experienced a ransomware attack affecting the protected health information of 229,460 people. State filings date the unauthorized access to January 19, 2022, and the notice was logged in June 2022. Press coverage reports other totals, including higher ones across the many facilities Avamere serves, so the number you see depends on the source. We use HHS's figure.
Sources checked: ocrportal.hhs.gov, atg.wa.gov, hipaajournal.com
Last verified against the official page:
What was exposed
HHS says the data included names, addresses, dates of birth, driver's license and Social Security numbers, claims and financial information, diagnoses, lab results and medication data. The ID numbers support identity theft and new-account fraud. The medical details can make phishing calls sound convincing, for example a caller who claims to be your insurer or pharmacy.
The company's response
HHS says Avamere notified HHS, the people affected and the media, provided complimentary credit monitoring and strengthened its technical safeguards.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus
A credit freeze is free and blocks most new accounts in your name. Place it separately at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, as the FTC explains.
- 2
Take the free credit monitoring if you were offered it
The notice letter explains how to enroll. The FTC recommends using it if a company offers it.
- 3
Read your statements and explanation of benefits
Check bank, card and insurance statements for charges or treatment you don't recognize, and report fraud at IdentityTheft.gov.
- 4
Expect phishing that mentions the breach
Don't click links or call numbers in unexpected emails, texts or letters. Contact the company using details from its official site.
- 5
Check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches
Run a free Serus scan to see which of your details have turned up in breach databases.
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the Avamere breach?
If you received a notice letter from Avamere or a care facility that uses it, yes. Facilities sent notices on their own as well, so check with the provider if you were a patient or resident.
What was exposed in the Avamere breach?
HHS lists names, addresses, dates of birth, driver's license and Social Security numbers, claims and financial information, diagnoses, lab results and medication data.
Should I freeze my credit after this breach?
Social Security numbers were involved, so the FTC's guidance on a free credit freeze at all three bureaus applies.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
