May 1, 2025 | JacobiJournal.com – AUSTIN, TX – Fired State Employees Exposed Personal Data of 33K Texans: Late Wednesday, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) notified 33,529 recipients of state benefits that fired state employees had improperly accessed their private information.
This latest announcement follows an ongoing investigation into breaches involving state employees who accessed Medicaid, food stamp, and other assistance programs’ data. Three months ago, the agency notified 61,104 Texans about the breach of their personal information by state employees. Seven employees were fired at that time, including two who had stolen from recipients’ food stamp cards.
State Employees Involved in Data Breaches
In February, HHSC notified lawmakers that two more employees had been fired, raising the total to nine employees who accessed individuals’ accounts without legitimate reasons. These employees are now responsible for breaching the personal data of another 33,529 account holders who applied for or received assistance between June 2021 and January 2025. HHSC has not yet determined how many of those individuals had their benefits compromised. Fired State Employees Exposed Personal Data of 33K Texans
Recommendations for Affected Texans
HHSC urges affected individuals to carefully review their accounts and examine statements from health care providers, insurance companies, and financial institutions to ensure that their account activity is correct. They should report any questionable charges to the respective provider and notify law enforcement promptly.
The agency recommends that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients check their Lone Star Card transactions for fraudulent activity. Individuals can do this by visiting YourTexasBenefits.com or using the mobile app. If they suspect SNAP fraud, they should call 2-1-1, select a language, and choose option 3 to report the fraud to the Texas Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. Affected individuals should also contact law enforcement and visit a local HHSC benefits office to replace their stolen benefits.
Details of the Breach and Available Resources
HHSC reports that the compromised data includes full names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, email addresses, Social Security numbers, Medicaid and Medicare identification numbers, and other personal information.
The agency offers two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those affected. Individuals can also call 866-362-1773, using engagement number B139792, for further assistance.
Contractor Employee Terminated Over Improper Access
HHSC has notified one of its contractors, Maximus, about an employee suspected of misusing personal data from HHSC’s systems. Maximus terminated the employee for improperly accessing protected health information of Texans enrolled in state benefits between May 8, 2023, and February 28, 2025.
The HHSC Office of the Inspector General is conducting an investigation into these data breaches.
For more information, visit the Texas Tribune.
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