On January 17, 2025, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced a significant data breach affecting over 61,000 Texans. The breach involved unauthorized access to sensitive personal information by certain HHSC employees, leading to their termination and potential criminal charges.
Scope of the Breach
The compromised data includes full names, home addresses, Social Security numbers, and Medicaid and Medicare identification numbers. The unauthorized access occurred between June 2021 and December 2024, impacting individuals who applied for or received state assistance during this period.
HHSC’s Response
Upon discovering the breach in November 2024, HHSC took immediate action by terminating the involved employees and referring the case to the Office of Inspector General for further investigation. The agency is also notifying affected individuals and offering two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.
Recommendations for Affected Individuals
HHSC advises those impacted to monitor their financial accounts and report any suspicious activity to their financial institutions. Additionally, recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) should keep a close watch on their Lone Star Card transactions and report any unauthorized charges promptly.
Preventive Measures
In response to this incident, HHSC is strengthening its internal security controls and implementing additional fraud prevention measures to safeguard personal information and prevent future breache.
