Privacy Update HMG Healthcare

pHMG Healthcare LLC HMG mailed notification letters to certain residents and employees affected by a data security incident and issued a press release to report the incident publicly This website notice is intended to provide the same information included in the notification letters to individuals for whom HMG has insufficient or outofdate contact informationpp ppWe are serious about protecting the privacy and the security of personal information that has been entrusted to us Unfortunately in November 2023 HMG became aware of a data breach of personal health information related to residents and employees at HMG affiliated nursing facilities We are notifying affected individuals andor their responsible parties that during August 2023 a server containing your or a loved ones information was accessed without authorization and the records were potentially compromisedppThe incident involved hackers gaining access to our server and stealing unencrypted files Files on the server likely contained medical records and personal information including names dates of birth contact information general health information information regarding medical treatment social security numbers andor employment recordsppHMG quickly identified this breach and took steps to investigate the incident fully mitigate any potential harm to you andor your loved one and protect against any further breaches HMG worked diligently to ensure that the stolen files were not further shared by the hackers to other sources HMG attempted to identify the specific data that was compromised but we have now determined that such identification is not feasibleppWe have reviewed our policies and procedures regarding safeguards to ensure the security and integrity of electronic health information and have increased our data security protocols While we believe that the breach has been mitigated you can take steps to protect yourself or loved one by monitoring account statements explanations of benefits and credit bureau reports closely You may also review the Additional Information provided below as a resourceppWe sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and concern this incident causes you HMG will continue to do everything we can to correct this situation and improve our protections for you and others going forward You may contact us directly at 2814195520 or at the address provided below with any questions You may also view the list of facilities impacted belowpp ppSincerelyppDerek PrinceChief Executive Officer Managing PartnerHMG Healthcare LLCpp ppA consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus Equifax Experian and TransUnion To order your free credit report visit wwwannualcreditreportcom or call tollfree 18773228228 You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit reportppConsumers have the right to place an initial or extended fraud alert on a credit file at no cost An initial fraud alert is a 1year alert that is placed on a consumers credit file with the credit reporting bureau Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumers credit file a business is required to take steps to verify the consumers identity before extending new credit If you are a victim of identity theft you are entitled to an extended fraud alert which is a fraud alert lasting seven years Should you wish to place a fraud alert please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed belowppAs an alternative to a fraud alert consumers have the right to place a credit freeze on a credit report free of charge which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumers express authorization The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit loans and services from being approved in your name without your consent However you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay interfere with or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan credit mortgage or any other account involving the extension of credit Pursuant to federal law you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit reportppShould you wish to place a fraud alert or credit freeze please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed belowppEquifax at httpswwwequifatxcompersonalcreditreportservices or 8882980045Experian at httpswwwexperiancomhelp or 18883973742TransUnion at httpswwwtransunioncomcredithelp or 8333956938ppYou may further educate yourself regarding identity theft fraud alerts credit freezes and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus the Federal Trade Commission or your state Attorney General The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20580 wwwidentitytheftgov 18774384338 and TTY 18666534261 The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud this letter alone does not suggest that you are a victim of or at risk of identity theft or fraud Please note that in order for you to file a police report for identity theft you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General This notice has not been delayed by law enforcementpp ppIf you received a notice letter you or your loved ones information appeared on a list of individuals who were employed by or received care at a nursing facility affiliated with HMG that was involved in the data security incident The name of the nursing facility is not always known by an HMG name The following list of facilities are potentially affected by this incidentpp ppHome Privacy Updatepp281 4195520pp1780 Hughes Landing Blvd Suite 500The Woodlands Texas 77380ppA longterm care ombudsman helps residents of a nursing facility and residents of an assisted living facility resolve complaints Help provided by an ombudsman is confidential and free of charge To speak with an ombudsman a person may call the tollfree number 18002522412ppCopyright 2022 HMG Healthcare LLCp