(North Haven, CT) – In a letter released today, Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy requested a briefing on the physician ID theft investigation from the Director of the US Secret Service and the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.

Noting that physicians are not only “vital healthcare providers in their communities but also small businesses,” the Senators offered their continued assistance to the Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS), as well as to the Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service, during the investigation. Senators Blumenthal and Murphy also recognized the efforts of the Connecticut State Medical Society in actively working with CSMS members affected by the data breach.

CSMS has already received a large number of calls and emails from affected physicians across the state, notes CSMS President Michael Saffir, MD. “We are very grateful to Senator Blumenthal and Senator Murphy for their support and concern for our members and their families. Their efforts to bring more attention and resources to this important matter are critical in helping to stem the effects of this massive data breach,” Dr. Saffir said.

The first signs of a problem surfaced in late April, as medical societies in Indiana and Massachusetts began hearing from members affected by fraudulent tax filings; within days, the problem quickly spread to a number of other states, including Connecticut. CSMS quickly alerted its membership with a special dedicated e-news issue, as well as website and social media postings. At the request of the Secret Service, CSMS also began interviewing affected members and coordinating their information for submission to the federal investigation. Federal officials continue to collect information from CSMS in an effort to determine the source of the data breach and the extent to which physician data has been compromised.

The Connecticut State Medical Society continues to cooperate actively with the ongoing federal investigation. If you are a CSMS member who may be affected by the physician identity theft/tax fraud, please email CSMS General Counsel Layne Gakos immediately. Members can also visit the CSMS website for additional information about how to protect themselves and their practices.

Please note: CSMS is not contacting members by phone about this issue. CSMS staff members are only placing calls in response to member-initiated contact. If you receive an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be a CSMS staff person, do not provide any information and report the contact to Attorney Gakos at CSMS.

Ask US Secret Service, IRS for additional protection.

For Immediate Release
5/8/14

Media Contact:
Kelly Raskauskas
CSMS Director of Communications
203-752-8435
the info would be displayed here