HCA has alerted its patients that 10 computers were stolen from a regional office that was a “secured building, protected by keypad lock technology, and video surveillance.” The computers contained “thousands of files listing unpaid bills from Medicare and Medicaid patients for hospitals in eight states,” HCA said in a statement on its web site. Some files listed patients’ Social Security numbers. The FBI has begun an investigation, and HCA reports that authorities believe the computers were stolen for their hardware, not the files. The organization has set up a call center to assist Medicare and Medicaid patients with overdue accounts whose personal information may be contained in the stolen computers.
