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Member data hacked from medical ID card firm

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Member data hacked from medical ID card firm

A service provider that issues ID cards for many health care providers says it discovered on July 6 that a server containing member information was accessed beginning May 21.

 

Albany, New York-based Newkirk Products Inc., said in its statement Friday, however, that no health plan's systems were accessed or affected in any way, and there is no evidence to date that the data accessed has been used inappropriately.

Newkirk said the data that was potentially accessed varies by plan but includes some combination of the member's name, mailing address, type of plan, member and group ID number; names of dependents enrolled in the plan, primary care provider, and in some cases date of birth, premium invoice information and Medicaid ID number.

It said the server did not contain Social Security numbers, banking or credit card information, medical information or any insurance claims information.

Newkirk said when it discovered the situation it shut down the server, started an investigation of the incident and hired a third-party forensic investigator.

Letters to those affected are being mailed. They include an offer of two years of free identity protection and restoration services.

Newkirk said it was acquired by Lake Success, New York-based Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. from Kansas City, Missouri-based DST Systems Inc., but the Broadridge network was not compromised because the Newkirk network has not been integrated into it yet. It said also there is no evidence any other Newkirk or DST service has been affected by the incident.

Newkirk is a service provider that issues healthcare ID cards for health insurance plans including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, HealthNow New York Inc., BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, BlueShield of Northeastern New York, and Capital District Physicians' Health Plan, Inc. (CDPHP), and, through Newkirk's relationship as a service provider to DST Health Solutions, Inc., Gateway Health Plan, Highmark Health Options, West Virginia Family Health, Johns Hopkins Employer Health Programs, Inc., Priority Partners Managed Care Organization and Uniformed Services Family Health Plan.

A spokesman for Newkirk could not immediately be reached for comment.

 

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