Health Quest Says Patient Information May Have Been Disclosed

MID-HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Health Quest, which is now part of Nuvance Health, a seven-hospital system in the Hudson Valley of New York and western Connecticut, is sending out letters to some former and current patients whose personal information may have been disclosed through a phishing scheme.

Health Quest discovered in July 2018 that numerous employees had been deceived by a phishing scheme. It resulted in certain employees being tricked into disclosing their email account credentials to an unauthorized party.

Hospital officials said the employee email accounts in question were secured, and a leading cybersecurity firm was hired to assist Health Quest in its investigation.

An investigation determined that some patient information may have been contained in an email account accessed by an unauthorized party.

The information involved varied by individual, but may have include names in combination with dates of birth, Social Security numbers, Medicare Health Insurance Claim Numbers (HICNs), driver's license numbers, provider name(s), dates of treatment, treatment and diagnosis information, health insurance plan member and group numbers, health insurance claims information, financial account information with PIN/security code and payment card information.

Some notification letters to patients were mailed in May, but the hospital system determined that additional notices were required.

On Jan. 10, Health Quest began mailing additional letters to affected patients and established a dedicated call center to answer questions that patients may have.

It is recommended that patients review statements they receive from their healthcare providers and health insurers, and if they see services they did not receive, they should contact the provider or insurer immediately.

For eligible patients whose Social Security number or driver's license number was found in the email account, Health Quest is offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services.

If individuals believe they have been affected but did not receive a letter by Feb. 15, they should call 1-844-967-1236, Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. EST, with questions.

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