The Insurance Journal is reporting today, via the Associated Press, that computers containing the information of over 72,000 Ohio Medicaid recipients have been stolen. The computers contain the names, addresses and Social Security numbers for 72,000 Medicaid subscribers in three counties, as well as the medical information of 13,000 subscribers in Stark County.

The Ohio Medicaid plan, also known as the Buckeye Community Health Plan, is a state-run program that helps pay health care expenses for the needy, the elderly and low-income individuals and families.

IJ reports that while the computers themselves are password protected, the information they hold is not. And while the Buckeye Community Health Plan spokesperson believes that the thieves wanted the computers and not the personal information they held, it’s clear that this is a major threat to the security of the plan’s subscribers. The company plans to review its security procedures and will mail notices to their customers this week, outlining how they can protect themselves from identity theft. Bad news, bad news.

Check out the entire story here, and take preventative measures of your own and check out our article from the Insurance Resource Center: Protecting Yourself from Identity Fraud.