Home Care Providers of Texas Notice Regarding Security Event

Home Care Providers of Texas ("HCPT") is committed to our patients, their treatment, and their families - as well as protecting the privacy and security of their personal information. On June 29, 2022, we learned a portion of our network environment was affected by a cyberattack that caused encryption of certain files stored on the network. In addition to encrypting files, an unauthorized party removed a limited number of files from our systems. Upon learning of the issue, we commenced an immediate and thorough investigation, and alerted law enforcement.

As part of the investigation, we engaged leading third-party cybersecurity experts experienced in handling these types of incidents. The investigation worked to identify what individual information, if any, might have been accessed by an unauthorized third party. After an extensive forensic investigation and comprehensive review of all the data impacted, on November 15, 2022, we discovered that certain personal and health information maintained on our systems was potentially accessed by an unauthorized party between June 15, 2022 and June 29, 2022. The information involved includes individual names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, certain treatment or diagnosis information, and certain medication information. HCPT is notifying affected patients via mail about the incident, and including in the communication steps individuals may take to protect the privacy of their personal information.

We remind our patients to remain vigilant in reviewing financial account statements on a regular basis for any fraudulent activity. We also recommend that our patients review the explanation of benefits statements that they receive from their health insurance providers, and follow up on any items not recognized. Please see the "Other Important Information" section below with additional information to help further safeguard your personal data.

As a team of dedicated and caring medical professionals, we understand that healthcare is about people taking care of people. We remain fully committed to maintaining the privacy of personal information in our possession, and upon learning of the event we took immediate action to protect individual health and personal information. We continually evaluate and modify our practices to enhance the security and privacy of personal and protected health information, and are taking measures to augment our existing cybersecurity.

If you have any further questions regarding this incident, please call our dedicated and confidential toll-free response line that we have set up to respond to questions at 1-833-570-2606. This response line is staffed with professionals familiar with this incident and knowledgeable on what you can do to help protect against misuse of your information. The response line is available Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time, excluding holidays.



– OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION –

1. Placing a Fraud Alert on Your Credit File.

We recommend that you place an initial one-year "Fraud Alert" on your credit files, at no charge. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you personally before they open any new accounts. To place a fraud alert, call any one of the three major credit bureaus at the numbers listed below. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, they will notify the others.

Equifax Experian TransUnion LLC
P.O. Box 105069 P.O. Box 2002 P.O. Box 2000
Atlanta, GA 30348 Allen, TX 75013 Chester, PA 19016
www.equifax.com www.experian.com www.transunion.com
1-800-525-6285 1-888-397-3742 1-800-680-7289

2. Consider Placing a Security Freeze on Your Credit File.

If you are very concerned about becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, you may request a "Security Freeze" be placed on your credit file, at no charge. A security freeze prohibits, with certain specific exceptions, the consumer reporting agencies from releasing your credit report or any information from it without your express authorization. You may place a security freeze on your credit report by contacting all three nationwide credit reporting companies at the numbers below and following the stated directions or by sending a request in writing, by mail, to all three credit reporting companies:

Equifax Sedcurity Freeze Experian Security Freeze TransUnion Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788 P.O. Box 9554 P.O. Box 2000
Atlanta, GA 30348 Allen, TX 75013 Chester, PA 19016
https://www.freeze.equifax.com http://experian.com/freeze http://www.transunion.com/securityfreeze
1-800-349-9960 1-888-397-3742 1-888-909-8872
In order to place the security freeze, you'll need to supply your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number and other personal information. After receiving your freeze request, each credit reporting company will send you a confirmation letter containing a unique PIN (personal identification number) or password. Keep the PIN or password in a safe place. You will need it if you choose to lift the freeze.

If your personal information has been used to file a false tax return, to open an account or to attempt to open an account in your name or to commit fraud or other crimes against you, you may file a police report in the City in which you currently reside.

If you do place a security freeze prior to enrolling in the credit monitoring service as described above, you will need to remove the freeze in order to sign up for the credit monitoring service. After you sign up for the credit monitoring service, you may refreeze your credit file.


3. Obtaining a Free Credit Report.

Under federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the above three major nationwide credit reporting companies. Call 1-877-322-8228 or request your free credit reports online at www.annualcreditreport.com. Once you receive your credit reports, review them for discrepancies. Identify any accounts you did not open or inquiries from creditors that you did not authorize. Verify all information is correct. If you have questions or notice incorrect information, contact the credit reporting company.


4. Protecting Your Health Information.

As a general matter the following practices can help to protect you from medical identity theft.

Only share your health insurance cards with your health care providers and other family members who are covered under your insurance plan or who help you with your medical care.

Review your “explanation of benefits” statement which you receive from your health insurance company. Follow up with your insurance company or the care provider for any items you do not recognize. If necessary, contact the care provider on the explanation of benefits statement and ask for copies of medical records from the date of the potential disclosure (June 28, 2022) to current date.

Ask your insurance company for a current year-to-date report of all services paid for you as a beneficiary. Follow up with your insurance company or care provider for any items you do not recognize.

5. Additional Helpful Resources.

Even if you do not find any suspicious activity on your initial credit reports, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you check your credit reports periodically. Checking your credit report periodically can help you spot problems and address them quickly.

If you find suspicious activity on your credit reports or have reason to believe your information is being misused, call your local law enforcement agency and file a police report. Be sure to obtain a copy of the police report, as many creditors will want the information it contains to absolve you of the fraudulent debts. You may also file a complaint with the FTC by contacting them on the web at www.ftc.gov/idtheft, by phone at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338), or by mail at Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. Your complaint will be added to the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, where it will be accessible to law enforcement for their investigations. In addition, you may obtain information from the FTC about fraud alerts and security freezes.

If this notice letter states that your financial account information and/or credit or debit card information was impacted, we recommend that you contact your financial institution to inquire about steps to take to protect your account, including whether you should close your account or obtain a new account number.

North Carolina Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office: Office of the Attorney General of North Carolina, Consumer Protection Division, 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, www.ncdoj.gov, Telephone: 877-566-722