Posted On March 11, 2022 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
March 11, 2022 – Recently, Ascension Michigan announced that the company experienced a data security incident resulting in the sensitive information of certain patients being compromised. It is essential those who receive a data breach notification from Ascension Michigan understand what is at risk. The data breach lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. are actively investigating the Ascension Michigan data breach on behalf of people whose information was exposed. As a part of our investigation, we are providing free consultations to anyone affected by the breach who is interested in learning more about the risks of identity theft, what they can do to protect themselves, and what their legal options may be to obtain compensation from Ascension Michigan.
In 2021, there were 1,862 data breaches affecting more than 189,000,000 individuals. Victims of identity theft spend, on average, 200 hours and more than $1,300 recovering their identity. Many of these victims also suffer credit damage, emotional distress, and may even end up with a criminal record. Taking immediate action is the best way to prevent the worst consequences of a data breach.
According to a notice posted by the company, Ascension Michigan was recently made aware of suspicious activity on the system used to store patients’ electronic health records. Upon learning of the incident, Ascension conducted an internal investigation to determine whether any protected health information was leaked as a result of the breach.
On November 30, 2021, Ascension confirmed an unauthorized party gained access to patient information between the dates of October 15, 2015 and September 8, 2021. While the compromised information varies by consumer, it may include patients’ first and last names, dates of birth, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, health insurance information, health insurance identification numbers and carriers, dates of service, diagnosis information, treatment information, and, Social Security numbers.
Around February 22, 2022, Ascension Michigan began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident. As many as 27,177 people may have been affected by the Ascension Michigan data breach.
Ascension Michigan is part of the nationwide healthcare organization Ascension Health. Ascension Health is a Catholic, non-profit healthcare system focusing on providing care to low-income individuals and families. In 2021, Ascension Health provided $2.3 billion in care to people living in poverty. As a whole, Ascension Health operates 142 hospitals and more than 50 long-term care facilities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The Ascension Michigan facilities include:
When you allowed Ascension access to your personal data, you trusted the company to keep your sensitive information safe. However, news of the Ascension Health data breach raises some very serious questions about the company’s data security measures and whether the company could have done more to prevent this type of cyber-attack.
Regardless of the industry, all businesses have a legal obligation to protect consumer information in their possession. Although creating and maintaining a data security system is costly, this is a necessary expense given the frequency with which cyberattacks occur.
Consumers whose personal, identifying, financial or healthcare-related data was compromised in a data breach can pursue legal action against a company that misused or mishandled their information. However, the investigation into the Ascension Michigan breach is only in its beginning phases. For that reason, it is too early to tell if Ascension was legally responsible for the breach. However, our data breach attorneys are investigating the Ascension Michigan security breach to determine the potential legal remedies of those affected.
If you have questions about your ability to pursue a data breach class action lawsuit against Ascension, contact a data breach attorney as soon as possible.
If you receive a data breach notification from Ascension in the coming weeks, it means your personal data was among that which was compromised in the recent cyberattack. It also means a cybercriminal may have had access to—and may have stolen—your personal data. Given the risks involved, it is important you remain vigilant by taking the following steps:
At Console & Associates, P.C., our consumer privacy lawyers monitor all security and data breaches to help affected consumers pursue their legal remedies. We offer free consultations to victims of data breaches and can explain your rights in clear, understandable terms so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed with your case. If you’ve been affected by the Ascension data breach or any other data security incident, Console & Associates, P.C., will investigate your case at no charge and offer you thorough advice about how to most effectively proceed with your case. If you decide to bring a case, we only get paid if you do. If your claim is successful, any legal fees are either paid by the defendant or come out of the funds recovered from the defendant. If your claim doesn’t result in a recovery, you will pay nothing.
To schedule your free consultation, just call (866) 778-5500 today or fill out our secure contact form.
