Notice of Breach

10/01/2023

What Happened

We are writing to provide information concerning an incident that involved protected health information. On February 23, 2023, we learned that an unauthorized individual may have accessed a computer that contained certain patient information. While we do not have evidence that any patient information was actually acquired or used for fraudulent purposes, we are unable to conclusively rule out such a possibility. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, we are providing this notice to help ensure patient information remains protected.

What Information Was Involved

The compromised computer may have contained information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and diagnosis and treatment information. We deeply regret that this has occurred and apologize for any inconvenience or concern caused by this incident.

What We Are Doing

Upon learning of this incident, we promptly launched an investigation to better understand its scope and ensure the proper removal of the unauthorized individual from our computer system. We have also reported this incident to law enforcement. This notification was not delayed because of a law enforcement investigation. We are continuously exploring ways to further strengthen the security of information in our computer system, and have implemented additional protections, including multi-factor authentication, advanced endpoint detection and response systems on our computer environment, and additional personnel training.

What You Can Do

This incident does not automatically mean you are a victim of identity theft. However, we encourage you to remain vigilant; to continually review your credit report, bank account activity, and bank statements for irregularities or unauthorized items; and to immediately report any unauthorized transactions to your financial institution. Please also review the Recommended Steps document attached to this letter to discover additional general steps you may take to protect your information.

For More Information

We value your privacy and sincerely regret any inconvenience this matter may cause. Our relationship with you, your confidence in our ability to safeguard your personal information, and your peace of mind are very important to us.

Please call 305-890-1839 for assistance or for any additional questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Unique Medical Services

Recommended Steps to help Protect your Information

We recommend that you remain vigilant by reviewing account statements and monitoring credit reports. Under federal law, you also are entitled every 12 months to one free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting companies. To obtain a free annual credit report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. You may wish to stagger your requests so that you receive a free report from one of the three credit bureaus every four months.

If you discover any suspicious items and have enrolled in IDX identity protection, notify them immediately by calling or by logging into the IDX website and filing a request for help.

If you file a request for help or report suspicious activity, you will be contacted by a member of our ID Care team who will help you determine the cause of the suspicious items. In the unlikely event that you fall victim to identity theft as a consequence of this incident, you will be assigned an ID Care Specialist who will work on your behalf to identify, stop, and reverse the damage quickly.

You should also know that you have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity fraud. Please note that in order to file a crime report or incident report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some kind of proof that you have been a victim. A police report is often required to dispute fraudulent items. You can report suspected incidents of identity theft to local law enforcement or to the Attorney General.

Place Fraud Alerts with the three credit bureaus. If you choose to place a fraud alert, we recommend you do this after activating your credit monitoring. You can place a fraud alert at one of the three major credit bureaus by phone and also via Experian’s or Equifax’s website. A fraud alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures, including contacting you, before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts. For that reason, placing a fraud alert can protect you, but also may delay you when you seek to obtain credit. The contact information for all three bureaus is as follows:

It is necessary to contact only ONE of these bureaus and use only ONE of these methods. As soon as one of the three bureaus confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place alerts on their records as well. You will receive confirmation letters in the mail and will then be able to order all three credit reports, free of charge, for your review. An initial fraud alert will last for one year.

Please Note: No one is allowed to place a fraud alert on your credit report except you.

Security Freeze. By placing a security freeze, someone who fraudulently acquires your personal identifying information will not be able to use that information to open new accounts or borrow money in your name. You will need to contact the three national credit reporting bureaus listed above to place the freeze. The credit reporting bureaus will request certain information from you prior to implementing a freeze such as your name, Social Security number or tax identification number, date of birth, telephone number, and address. Keep in mind that when you place the freeze, you will not be able to borrow money, obtain instant credit, or get a new credit card until you temporarily lift or permanently remove the freeze. There is no cost to freeze or unfreeze your credit files.

You can obtain additional information about the steps you can take to prevent identity theft from the following agencies. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them.

California Residents: Visit the California Office of Privacy Protection (www.oag.ca.gov/privacy) for additional information on protection against identity theft. Office of the Attorney General of California, 1300 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, Telephone: 1-800-952-5225.

Kentucky Residents: Office of the Attorney General of Kentucky, 700 Capitol Avenue, Suite 118 Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, www.ag.ky.gov, Telephone: 1-502-696-5300.

Maryland Residents: Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, Consumer Protection Division 200 St. Paul Place Baltimore, MD 21202, www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer, Telephone: 1-888-743-0023.

New Mexico Residents: You have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information.  Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from a violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act.  You can review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

New York Residents: the Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; https://ag.ny.gov/.

North Carolina Residents: Office of the Attorney General of North Carolina, 9001 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, www.ncdoj.gov, Telephone: 1-919-716-6400.

Oregon Residents: Oregon Department of Justice, 1162 Court Street NE, Salem, OR 97301-4096, www.doj.state.or.us/, Telephone: 1-877-877-9392

Rhode Island Residents: Office of the Attorney General, 150 South Main Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, www.riag.ri.gov, Telephone: 1-401-274-4400

All US Residents: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580, https://consumer.ftc.gov, 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), TTY: 1-866-653-4261.