On May 22, 2023, Apria Healthcare, a medical equipment and supplies company, announced that a data breach had impacted the personal information of 1.8 million patients. The breach occurred between April 5, 2019 and October 10, 2021, and may have exposed names, Social Security numbers, addresses, and other sensitive information.
Apria Healthcare is a leading provider of home medical equipment and supplies in the United States. The company provides a wide range of products and services, including oxygen therapy, respiratory care, and infusion therapy. Apria Healthcare has over 10,000 employees and serves over 2 million patients nationwide.
The data breach was discovered by Apria Healthcare on October 10, 2021. The company immediately launched an investigation and took steps to secure its systems. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party had gained access to Apria Healthcare's systems between April 5, 2019 and October 10, 2021. The unauthorized party may have accessed the following information:
Names
Social Security numbers
Addresses
Phone numbers
Dates of birth
Medical information
Health insurance information
Apria Healthcare is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to affected individuals. Affected individuals can sign up for the free services by visiting Apria Healthcare's website.
Apria Healthcare is also working with law enforcement to investigate the data breach. The company is committed to protecting the privacy of its patients and is taking steps to prevent future data breaches.
What to do if you are affected by the Apria Healthcare data breach
If you are affected by the Apria Healthcare data breach, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself:
Sign up for the free credit monitoring and identity theft protection offered by Apria Healthcare.
Place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert tells creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening a new account in your name.
Review your credit report for any unauthorized activity.
Monitor your bank and credit card statements for any suspicious charges.
Report any unauthorized activity to the authorities immediately.
How to prevent data breaches
There are a number of things you can do to help prevent data breaches, including:
Use strong passwords and change them regularly.
Be careful about what information you share online.
Only download files from trusted sources.
Keep your software up to date.
Be aware of the latest scams and phishing attacks.
By taking these steps, you can help protect your personal information from being compromised in a data breach.
