Michigan Avenue Immediate Care michiganavenueimmediatecare.com Michigan Avenue Immediate Care data breach: what happened and what to do
Michigan Avenue Immediate Care reported a cyber-attack that exposed the health information of 144,104 people, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers and treatment details. It was reported to HHS in 2022.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 11 Nov 2021
- Made public
- 30 Jun 2022
- Affected
- 144,104
- Data exposed
- Names, Physical addresses, Phone numbers, Dates of birth, Social security numbers, Driver's licenses, Health insurance information, Treatment information
- Last updated
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
What happened
Michigan Avenue Immediate Care, a clinic, told the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that a cyber-attack compromised the protected health information of 144,104 people. The breach went on HHS's public breach list in June 2022, and the clinic also filed notices with state attorneys general, including California and Maine. The Maine filing gives the same total of 144,104 people.
According to HHS, the clinic notified affected individuals and the media, and posted a notice on its website. It then added administrative and technical safeguards and retrained all staff.
Sources checked: ocrportal.hhs.gov, oag.ca.gov, maine.gov
Last verified against the official page:
What was exposed
HHS lists names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, health insurance information and treatment information.
That mix matters. A Social Security number with a date of birth and a driver's license number is what someone needs to open credit in your name or file a fake tax return. Treatment and insurance details can be used for medical identity theft, where someone bills care to your policy, and for convincing phishing that pretends to be your clinic or insurer.
What to do
If you got a notice letter, you were in this breach. If you were a patient and didn't get one, you can ask the clinic. The steps below follow FTC guidance and are worth doing either way if your Social Security number was in the data.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus
A credit freeze is free and blocks most new accounts in your name. Place it separately at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, as the FTC explains.
- 2
Read your insurance statements
Check explanation of benefits statements for care you didn't receive. If something is wrong, tell your insurer and the provider.
- 3
Expect phishing that mentions the clinic
Phone numbers and addresses were exposed, so expect calls, texts and letters that mention your care. Don't click links in them. Contact the clinic or insurer using a number you look up yourself.
- 4
Report identity theft if it happens
If someone uses your details, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan.
- 5
Check where else your details are exposed
Run a free Serus scan to see whether your email or phone appears in this and other breaches. Serus alerts you to new exposures; it can't remove data that has already leaked.
Official filings
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , filed 30 Jun 2022 : 144,104 people
Timeline
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The breach happened
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The company made it public
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Reported to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the Michigan Avenue Immediate Care breach?
The clinic reported 144,104 affected people and says it notified them. If you received a letter, you were affected. If you were a patient and didn't, ask the clinic.
What information was exposed?
According to HHS: names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, health insurance information and treatment information.
Should I freeze my credit?
If your Social Security number was exposed, yes. The FTC says a freeze is free and you can lift it whenever you need to apply for credit.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
