Xerox, a company that worked on the Texas Medicaid program, may still have files that contain information about many current and former Medicaid clients. The company is being sued by the state and has refused to return the files.
One of things Xerox did for the state was review requests for braces for Medicaid clients. The files Xerox still has may include information, such as a client’s name, birthdate, Medicaid number, and medical and billing records related to care provided through Medicaid, such as reports, diagnosis codes, and photographs.
The state is suing Xerox to get the files back or make sure the court requires Xerox and any others the company shared the information with protect it. (Texas Health and Human Services Commission v. Xerox State Healthcare, LLC, Cause No. D-1-GV-14-003203, 200th Judicial District, Travis County, Texas.) A hearing on the case is tentatively set for September 4. HHSC is urging Medicaid clients to review their medical records and financial accounts on a regular basis and to report any suspicious activity.
To protect your identity:
Contact one of the national credit reporting agencies below and ask for a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one agency. That agency will ask the other two agencies to set up fraud alerts on your credit report. These fraud alerts are only good for 90 days, so you will need to renew them. We cannot do this for you. These agencies must have your permission to set up the alerts.
Equifax
P.O. Box 740241 www.fraudalerts.equifax.com
Atlanta, GA 30374 Fraud hotline (toll-free): 1-877-478-7625
Experian
P.O. Box 2002 www.experian.com
Allen, TX 75013 Fraud hotline (toll-free): 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion
Email to report suspected fraud at: fvad@transunion.com
P.O. Box 6790 www.transunion.com
Fullerton, CA 92834 Fraud hotline (toll-free): 1-800-680-7289
Ask for a copy of your credit report from the credit reporting agencies and carefully review the reports for any activity that looks suspicious.
The credit reporting agencies may not have files on children under the age of 18. You may contact each agency to find out if a child has a credit file.
Look at your bank account often to make sure that there are no purchases or withdrawals that you did not make or approve.
If you see any suspicious activities on your credit reports or bank account, call your local police or sheriff’s office and file a report. Keep a copy of this police report in case you need it to clear your personal records.
Learn about the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft programs by visiting www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft or by calling the Federal Trade Commission’s toll-free identity theft helpline at 1-877-438-4338.
If you believe you may have been affected by this incident, continue to watch this website for updates. If you have questions or concerns, contact an HHSC Privacy Officer at 1-877-378-9869 or email at privacy@hhsc.state.tx.us.