California DHCS sends ID cards to wrong families

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) recently reported experiencing a data breach when more than 2,600 Medi-Cal benefits ID cards were accidentally mailed to the wrong recipients.

"The protection of private information is a top priority for DHCS," said Toby Douglas, the director of DHCS.  "We take any breach of personal health information very seriously and we sincerely regret that this information was released. We have increased our efforts to ensure that all information is appropriately protected."

The information on the card included the patients' date of birth, gender, ID card issue date and index number. While DHCS firmly believes there is a low chance that this instance will result in identity theft or fraud, decision-makers are taking all the necessary precautions to warn families. The organization is also reviewing its data quality assurance program to ensure similar occurrences do not happen in the future.

By using advanced address verification software, executives can be sure sensitive assets are sent to the appropriate recipients at the right time. As seen in this instance, inaccurate information can lead to unnecessary data breaches.