Social Security numbers of nearly 50,000 Californians disclosed

California health officials have accidentally disclosed the Social Security numbers of nearly 50,000 of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

The numbers were printed on the outside of envelopes sent to elderly patients of the Adult Day Health Care program, many of whom are blind or have Alzheimer’s disease or other cognitive disabilities. The Department of Health Care Services sent the envelopes, which contained change-of-benefit notices,  Feb. 1.

Officials have since sent follow-up letters advising recipients to destroy the envelopes and are advising patients to contact credit agencies to put a freeze on new accounts.

“Why isn’t the state doing it for them?” asked Lydia Missaelides, executive director of the California Assn. for Adult Day services, who noted that the disclosure exposed the patients to identity theft. 

State employees mistakenly included the Social Security numbers in a list of patient addresses, said Karen Johnson, chief deputy director of the Department of Health Care Services.  The department sent the list to an outside contractor, who printed and mailed the envelopes.

-- Jack Dolan in Sacramento

File photo / David Fitzgerald / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Mark McQuine]

Hey look, contracting out services saves money!

[Vixen]

Who is this "outside contractor" who had access to these names and SSN's?

[khrystyne]

Bunch of idiots.

[Mary S]

If the officials made the mistake, they should correct it for every elderly individual that was affected. How is someone with alzheimer's disease or cognitive difficulties supposed to "understand" what they must do?

[Lornaj]

Someone was Stupid, and these people will have to take their time, and clean up someone else Mistake.

[Erwin Speakman]

The state will not rectify its mistake after offering a boatload of excuses ... and what about the outside contractor? Those SS numbers are still out there. Here's a suggestion for the governor's program to save some money. Fire the people who sent out the SS numbers.

[Omar Aguilera]

Once again it goes to show the quality of work that some of these state workers put out. Don't blame the outside contractor who did exactly what their statement of work said to do, print and mail. Now what is going to happen? They are more than likely going to get a swift "don't do it again". If they were at McDonalds and they screwed up at this level they would be on their way to the unemployment line.

[WOW]

And they wonder why government employees have a well-deserved reputation for being idiots....REALLY, nobody in the department caught this before it was sent to the contractor?!? START THE FIRING, we need the money back for the bloated salaries of these morons!

[nathan]

Look at it the other way- 50,000 new identities for illegal aliens to use to beat E-Verify and get jobs.

Do Americans really think the State of California is looking out for them?

[Blenda M]

"State employees mistakenly included the Social Security numbers in a list of patient addresses, said Karen Johnson, chief deputy director of the Department of Health Care Services."

Another reason why we need to layoff all incompetent state workers. These "cubicle workers" don't really care about their work. They just sit and go through the motion, watch the clock, take 2 hrs lunch break, surf the web, then go home half hour early.

[RC11]

The government should issue these victims new social security numbers to use. Government broke it, government should fix it.

[Sue Manderfield]

Persons responsible for this mishap need to be fired for glaring incompetence.

[Astonished]

Privatization at it finest! Way to Go Riorden!