Missing Computer Holds Data for 38,000 (another VA data theft)

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Missing Computer Holds Data for 38,000
By HOPE YEN, AP

WASHINGTON (Aug. 8) - As many as 38,000 veterans may be at risk of identity theft because a Veterans Affairs Department subcontractor lost a desktop computer containing their sensitive personal data.

VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said that Unisys Corp., a subcontractor hired to assist in insurance collections for VA medical centers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, reported the missing computer last Thursday. The computer was being used in Unisys offices in Reston, Va.

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The computer is believed to contain names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, insurance carriers and claims data including medical information for veterans who received care at the hospitals in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh during the past four years.

According to initial estimates, the data covered about 5,000 patients treated at Philadelphia, 11,000 treated at Pittsburgh and 2,000 deceased patients. The VA is investigating whether the information also may have covered 20,000 who received care through the Pittsburgh medical center.

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