ARcare is notifying certain individuals of a recent data privacy incident that may impact the privacy of a limited amount of personal and/or medical information. ARcare is unaware of any misuse of individual information and is providing notice to potentially affected individuals out of an abundance of caution.
On February 24, 2022, ARcare experienced a data security incident that impacted its computer systems and caused a temporary disruption to services. ARcare immediately worked to secure its systems and quickly commenced an investigation to confirm the nature and scope of the incident. On March 14, 2022, the investigation determined that an unauthorized actor may have accessed and/or acquired some sensitive data during a period of unauthorized access to ARcares computer systems between January 18, 2022 and February 24, 2022. A thorough review of the contents of the affected data was subsequently performed to determine whether it contained any sensitive information and identify affected individuals. On April 4, 2022, ARcare concluded the review and determined that personal information relating to individuals was in affected files.
Though it varies by individual, the types of personal and/or medical information that may have been accessed or acquired by the unauthorized actor included: names, Social Security numbers, drivers license or state identification numbers, dates of birth, financial account information, medical treatment information, prescription information, medical diagnosis or condition information, and health insurance information. At this time, ARcare is unaware of any or actual or attempted misuse of the affected information as a result of this incident.
ARcare treats its responsibility to safeguard information in its care as an utmost priority. As such, ARcare responded immediately to this incident and have been working diligently to provide you with an accurate and complete notice of the incident as soon as possible. As part of its ongoing commitment to the privacy and security of personal information in its care, ARcare is reviewing and updating existing policies and procedures relating to data protection and security. ARcare is also investigating additional security measures to mitigate any risk associated with this incident and to better prevent future similar incidents. On April 25, 2022, ARcare began providing notice of this incident to potentially impacted individuals and to regulators where required.
Although ARcare is unaware of the misuse of any personal information impacted by this incident, individuals are encouraged to remain vigilant against events of identity theft by reviewing account statements, explanation of benefits, and monitoring free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Any suspicious activity should be reported to the appropriate insurance company, health care provider, or financial institution.
Individuals seeking additional information regarding this incident can call ARcares dedicated, toll-free number at (833) 783-1354, available Monday through Friday from 8am to 8pm Central time. Individuals may also write to ARcare directly at: 117 S. 2nd Street, Augusta, Arkansas 72006. ARcare is committed to safeguarding personal information and will continue to work to enhance the protections in place to secure the information in its care.
Although ARcare is unaware of any misuse of personal information as a result of this incident, individuals are encouraged to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review account statements, explanation of benefits, and to monitor credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report.
Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended fraud alert on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a one-year alert that is placed on a consumers credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumers credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumers identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.
As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a credit freeze on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumers express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. To request a credit freeze, you will need to provide the following information:
Should you wish to place a fraud alert or a credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:
| Equifax | Experian | TransUnion |
|---|---|---|
| https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ | https://www.experian.com/help/ | https://www.transunion.com/credit-help |
| 1-888-298-0045 | 1-888-397-3742 | 1-833-395-6938 |
| Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 | Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 | TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 |
| Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 | Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 | TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094 |
You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438- 4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.
For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov/.
For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.