Independent Living Systems ilshealth.com Independent Living Systems data breach: what happened and what to do
Someone accessed Independent Living Systems' network between June 30 and July 5, 2022. The company reported 4,226,508 people affected. Data included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and Medicare or Medicaid IDs.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 30 Jun 2022
- Made public
- 14 Mar 2023
- Affected
- 4,226,508
- Data exposed
- Names, Physical addresses, Dates of birth, Social security numbers, Medical record numbers, Medicare or Medicaid IDs, Treatment information
- 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.
What happened
Independent Living Systems (ILS) is a Miami company that provides services to health plans. It says an unauthorized party had access to certain systems between June 30 and July 5, 2022, and that an incident disrupting access to its computers was found on July 5.
What was exposed
ILS and the health plans that use it said the data could include names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, Medicare or Medicaid IDs, and treatment or diagnosis information. Not everyone had every item.
A Social Security number with a date of birth is enough to apply for credit in your name. Medicare and Medicaid IDs can be used in medical identity theft, and details about your care make phishing calls and texts more convincing.
What the company did
ILS began notifying people on March 14, 2023, some months after its review of the affected files. It reported 4,226,508 people affected to the Maine Attorney General. Health plans such as VNS Health posted their own notices. ILS has said it is not aware of any identity theft or fraud resulting from the event. A class action over the breach reached a $14 million settlement.
Sources checked: vnshealthplans.org, hipaajournal.com, mass.gov
Last verified against the official page:
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Read your insurance and provider statements
Check every explanation of benefits and bill for services you didn't receive. If you see one, call the provider or health plan right away, as the notice advises.
- 2
Freeze your credit
A credit freeze is free and stops new accounts being opened in your name. Place one at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion; the FTC explains how at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-credit-freezes-fraud-alerts.
- 3
Expect phishing that mentions your care
Messages that cite your hospital, plan or the breach can be scams. Don't click links or give details to anyone who contacts you first; call the number on your card or statement.
- 4
Report misuse
If someone opens an account in your name or uses your Medicare or Medicaid ID, report it at https://www.identitytheft.gov/ and tell your plan.
- 5
Check whether your email or phone is in other breaches
Run a free scan at https://www.serus.ai to see where your email or phone number has turned up.
Official filings
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , filed 14 Mar 2023 : 19,303 people
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , filed 2 Sept 2022 : 4,226,508 people
Timeline
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The breach happened
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Reported to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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The company made it public
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Reported to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the Independent Living Systems breach?
ILS mailed letters starting March 14, 2023, and several health plans posted notices. If you got one, your data was involved. Your health plan can tell you if ILS handled your information.
What was exposed?
Names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, Medicare or Medicaid IDs, and treatment or diagnosis information, depending on the person.
Is there a settlement?
Reporting says the class action settled for $14 million. Check the settlement administrator's site for current claim terms.
Sources
- vnshealthplans.org/notice-of-independent-living-systems-data-breach/
- hipaajournal.com/more-than-4-million-individuals-affected-by-cyberattack-on-independent-living-systems/
- mass.gov/doc/assigned-data-breach-number-29203-independent-living-systems-llc/download
- consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-credit-freezes-fraud-alerts
- identitytheft.gov
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