Patient records exposed in Quest breach: What you need to know

Quest Diagnostics has confirmed that an unauthorized party accessed a system healthcare providers use to order laboratory tests and view results, affecting personal information and patient records. Quest is a major US laboratory testing company whose services help healthcare professionals diagnose and monitor medical conditions. Those services range from routine laboratory testing to specialized testing in areas such as cancer, infectious diseases, and neurology. What happened and what was stolen? The company learned of unauthorized access to its Quanum Lab Services Manager, or LSM, on October 21. The compromised platform lets healthcare professionals order tests, access results, review historical trends, and order supplies. Quest paused access to the platform and began investigating. Quest says its core business operations remain up and running. An investigation is ongoing. Quest has not yet published a count of affected patients or a complete list of the information accessed. It says it will notify affected patients, healthcare providers, and health plans. The company said: “personal information and patient records were affected.” It confirms that health information and personally identifiable information were involved, but has not specified whether these included Social Security numbers, insurance identifiers, payment information, particular test results, or account passwords. What patients can do now Quest says it will send notification letters to affected patients once its investigation is complete. Those letters will describe available resources, including credit and identity monitoring. If you receive one, read it carefully and follow the instructions. You can also check the FAQs posted in Quest’s breach notice for updates. Someone’s watching your accounts. Make sure it’s us. A breach does not automatically mean someone has misused your information, but you can take these precautions while you wait for more details: Verify unexpected messages independently. Don’t let a message about the breach rush you into clicking a link, sharing sensitive information, or making a payment. Go to Quest’s official website yourself or use contact details you already trust. Review medical bills and insurance statements. Look for appointments, tests, prescriptions, or services you did not receive. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) identifies unfamiliar medical bills and unexpected items on an Explanation of Benefits statement, which explains how your insurer processed a claim, as warning signs of medical identity theft. Report discrepancies to your healthcare provider and your insurer. Review your credit reports. Look for unfamiliar accounts or debts and dispute errors. Free reports are available through AnnualCreditReport.com . Act if you find signs of identity theft. Visit IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. If someone has received care in your name, ask the providers involved for copies of your medical records and request corrections in writing. Medical identity theft is not just a financial problem; it can also affect your care. Someone using your identity to obtain treatment or submit insurance claims could introduce incorrect information into your health records. Checking medical statements and reporting anything unfamiliar can help you catch that misuse. Let’s face it, an incognito window can only do so much. Breaches, dark web trading, credit fraud. Malwarebytes Identity Theft Protection monitors for all of it, alerts you fast, and comes with identity theft insurance. About the author Was a Microsoft MVP in consumer security for 12 years running. Can speak four languages. Smells of rich mahogany and leather-bound books.