9 Million Patient Records Exposed in Major US Medical Data Breach
One of the Largest Healthcare Cyberattacks of 2023
Nearly 9 million patients had their highly sensitive personal and health information compromised in a massive cyberattack targeting Perry Johnson & Associates (PJ&A), a Nevada-based medical transcription service provider. This incident ranks among the worst healthcare data breaches in recent years.
What Happened in the PJ&A Data Breach?
According to filings with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
- 8.95 million individuals affected
- Breach timeline began March 2023
- Patients notified October 31, 2023 (6 months later)
Types of Data Compromised
The stolen information included:
- Personal identifiers: Names, dates of birth, addresses
- Medical details: Admission diagnoses, service dates/times
- Sensitive records: Medical record numbers, hospital account numbers
- Financial information: Some Social Security numbers, insurance details
- Clinical data: Lab results, diagnostic tests, medications, provider names
Impacted Healthcare Organizations
Several major healthcare providers have confirmed their patients were affected:
- Northwell Health (NY): 3.89 million patients impacted
- Second breach this year after Nuance Communications incident
- Cook County Health (IL): 1.2 million patients affected
- Includes 2,600 records with Social Security numbers
Approximately 4 million patient records remain unaccounted for at this time.
Healthcare Cybersecurity Crisis Worsens
This breach follows concerning trends in medical data security:
- Second largest healthcare breach of 2023 after HCA Healthcare’s 11 million record theft
- Comes same week as McLaren Health’s 2.2 million patient ransomware attack
- Follows Truepill pharmacy’s 2.3 million patient data exposure
Critical Unanswered Questions
- Attack method remains undisclosed
- PJ&A leadership has not provided public comments
- Full scope of impacted organizations still emerging
Healthcare organizations and patients are urged to:
- Monitor accounts for suspicious activity
- Consider credit monitoring services
- Stay alert for potential phishing attempts
For affected organizations seeking to share information, contact TechCrunch via SecureDrop.
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