On December 19, 2023, Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons (“MOS”) filed a notice of data breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights after discovering that an unauthorized party was able to access an employee email account. In this notice, MOS explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, usernames and passwords, health insurance information, and medical information. Upon completing its investigation, MOS began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons Data Breach?

The Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, MOS’s filing with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights provides some important information on what led up to the breach. Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons also posted a notice discussing the incident on its website.

According to these sources, on June 29, 2034, MOS detected suspicious activity within an employee’s email account. In response, MOS secured the email account and launched an internal investigation. MOS also enlisted the help of outside cybersecurity experts to assist with its investigation.

Ultimately, the MOS investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party had been able to access the employee’s email account, including emails and attachments containing confidential patient information.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons completed this process on October 20, 2023. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, date of birth, Social Security number, financial account number, username and password, health insurance information, and medical information.

On December 19, 2023, Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.

More Information About Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons

Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons is a healthcare services company based out of Royal Oak, Michigan. MOS is a practice group consisting of more than 50 orthopedic and musculoskeletal surgeons, specialists and researchers. The company operates out of ten facilities in and around the greater Detroit area, including Ascension Macomb - Oakland Hospital, Beaumont Medical Center – Macomb, Beaumont Royal Oak, Bloomfield Hills Surgery Center, and MiOrtho Surgery Center. In July 2023, Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons merged with Michigan Hand & Wrist. Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons employs more than 107 people and generates approximately $23 million in annual revenue.