Seeking confidential information
Mid-Michigan District Health Department (MMDHD) has been notified by several clients and one employee of a telephone scam seeking confidential information.
Upon investigation, MMDHD has learned that the calls seem to originate from the same out-of-state number, and have received numerous consumer complaints.
The caller leads you to believe he possesses personal medical information (which may or may not be accurate), and requests additional confidential medical, credit or debit card information.
The caller may even mention that he received your medical information from the Health Department, but this just isn’t so. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) helps keep your medical records private, and prevents the Health Department, as well as other healthcare organizations, from releasing confidential client information to anyone without your formal consent.
Mid-Michigan District Health Department urges the public to be extremely cautious about sharing medical information over the phone unless you are absolutely sure you are dealing with a trusted source, such as your physician or insurance carrier. When in doubt, always err on the side of caution.