Read more: Local, Crime, Health, New Mexico Medicaid Security Breach, Medicaid Security Breach, New Mexico Medicaid, New Mexico's Salud Plan, New Mexico Human Services Department, Member of New Mexico's Salud Plan Security Breach, Health Plan Identification Numbers
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Thousands of people who receive Medicaid services under New Mexico's Salud Plan are being notified about a security breach of protected health information.
The New Mexico Human Services Department is encouraging all Salud plan and fee for service members to protect themselves by placing fraud alerts on their credit accounts. The department also is providing a toll-free number for concerned clients.
The breach happened in March in Chicago, when a car belonging to a subcontractor of a company that processes claims and provides dental benefits for the state's Medicaid program was stolen.
In the trunk was a laptop that contained patient information including names and health plan identification numbers, which in some cases is an individual's social security number.
The computer was password protected but didn't have other safeguards.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
