The North Dakota Department of Human Services (NDDHS) is notifying 2,452 Medicaid recipients that their protected health information has been compromised when their records were discovered in a dumpster.
On May 19, 2017, a member of the public discovered sensitive information in a dumpster and contacted NDDHS. The documents that were discovered included Medicaid worksheets, which contained Medicaid recipients’ first and last names, Medicaid provider numbers, Medicaid ID numbers, a code associated with their county of residence, dates of insurance, amounts billed and allowed, diagnosis codes, and dental information.
The records were placed in the dumpster on May 8, 2017. Because the records may have been accessed, NDDHS is offering credit monitoring and identity theft services for the affected individuals, is implementing a training program for staff , and reviewing policies and procedures for safeguarding and disposing of personal data Medicaid recipients.