4 Tips for Keeping Your Health Care Records and MyChart Account Safe

“A stolen credit card can be canceled,” Ron Mehring, chief information security officer at Texas Health Resources, says. “Your medical history is different. It is who you are.”

Most people guard their bank accounts and credit cards closely. But cybercriminals often see a medical record as the bigger prize. Knowing how to protect a patient portal like MyChart and your personal healthcare information is one of the simplest ways to protect your identity.

It helps to know what is and isn't at risk. A scam or a security event at another company doesn't erase your care history. Texas Health keeps those files safe and backed up across North Texas. Your appointments, medicines and care history stay right where they belong.

What's lost in a leak or a scam is control over who else has a copy. And a copy can't be canceled or taken back.

What Is Inside a Medical Record?

A health record holds far more than blood pressure readings and a list of prescriptions. It also has your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, insurance details and contact information.

Criminals use that information to commit identity theft. They file fake insurance claims, get prescription drugs or order medical equipment in someone else's name. A credit card number can be shut off in minutes. Your Social Security number and medical history can't.

Mehring said scammers target one group especially hard: children.

“If they get hold of a child's information, they can use it for a long time,” Mehring says. “You often do not know it is being used, because that child is not applying for credit or checking reports.”

Many families don't find out for years. It usually surfaces when a young adult applies for a first student loan, car loan or credit card.

You can get ahead of it. Federal law lets a parent or guardian freeze a child's credit file for free at all three major credit bureaus. A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your child's name, and you can lift it when your child is ready to use credit.

How to Spot a Scam Message

Phishing is a message that pretends to come from a company you trust so you'll hand over a password or personal details. Health systems across the country have warned patients about phishing aimed at patient portals.

A recent HIPAA Journal security alert reported that criminals send texts and emails claiming a medical record needs updating or an urgent test result is waiting. The links lead to fake login pages built to look exactly like the real ones.

Scammers also send fake emails using the MyChart name. These messages often promise free health packages, demand an account update or claim you have an urgent notification. For a closer look at these tactics, please review the Texas Health warning on scam emails using the MyChart name.

A scam message often:

• Offers a free gift, kit or reward.
• Asks you to click a link to claim an offer or check your details.
• Pressures you to act right now.
• Comes from an email address, phone number or web link you don't recognize.
• Has spelling errors or odd phrasing.

Bad spelling used to be the easiest clue. Scammers have gotten better.

“They are getting more innovative in how they communicate,” Mehring reports. “They study how we talk to patients, and then they try to insert themselves in the middle of that.”

A clean, professional-looking email is no longer proof that a message is safe.

One Clue That Gives Scammers Away

One pattern separates real messages from fake ones. Scammers push you to act immediately. Texas Health doesn't.

“We never apply a deep sense of urgency,” Mehring insists. “That is just not how we communicate.”

Official Texas Health messages are informational or tied directly to your care. When something does need your attention, such as pre-visit paperwork, the message will tell you to log in to your portal. Texas Health will never send an email or text asking you to reply with your Social Security number, password or bank details.

Official MyChart emails from Texas Health come from:

• security@hello.texashealth.org
• donotreply@hello.texashealth.org

One caution: scammers can fake the “from” line so a message looks like it came from a real address. A familiar sender is a good sign, not proof. That's why the next rule matters so much.

4 Rules to Live By: Three Don'ts and a Do

Mehring recommends a simple playbook for any unexpected call, text or email:

• Don't click. Avoid clicking links or attachments in a message you weren't expecting.
• Don't call. Don't dial a phone number that came inside a suspicious email or text.
• Don't reply. Don't respond or share information through the message.
• Do go direct. Open your official app, type a trusted web address yourself or call Texas Health at a number you already know is good.

Joey Sudomir, senior vice president and chief information officer at Texas Health, uses this habit on all of his online accounts.

“Rather than clicking the link, I just go open the app myself,” Sudomir shares. “Use the message as a reminder to go check, not as a door to walk through.”

If you get a notification saying test results are ready, open the MyChart app on your phone. If the update is real, it will be waiting for you inside the secure portal.

Stop Changing Your Password Every Few Months. Do This Instead.

For years, people were told to swap out passwords every few months. Today's security guidance says something different: pick one strong password that you don't use anywhere else, then turn on two-step verification.

Two-step verification, sometimes called multifactor authentication, adds a second step when you log in. It usually sends a short code to your phone or an app.

“It really raises the bar,” Mehring emphasizes. “It adds an extra layer of protection, making it significantly harder for a criminal to access your account.”

Texas Health recommends turning on two-step verification for every account that holds health information. That includes patient portals, health insurance accounts and pharmacy apps.

What to Do If You Already Clicked (Action Plan)

It happens, and acting quickly limits the damage:

• Change your MyChart password right away. If you used that same password anywhere else, change it there too.
• Turn on two-step verification.
• Call the Texas Health MyChart Support Team at 682-236-6700.
• Watch for anything unfamiliar in your insurance statements, such as a claim for care you never received.

Helping Family Members Safely with Proxy Access

When caring for an aging parent or managing a child's health, many people simply share a login. But sharing a password strips away the protections built into the account.

The safer route is MyChart proxy access. It lets an approved family member view a loved one's health record from their own MyChart account.

“MyChart proxy access allows a parent, legal guardian, or authorized individual to securely access and help manage care,” says Katy Madden, manager of consumer solutions and support for MyChart at Texas Health. “The designated individual must have their own MyChart account in order to gain proxy access.”

With proxy access, a family member can:

• View medical histories and test results.
• Schedule and manage appointments.
• Message care teams directly.

For mothers who deliver at a Texas Health hospital, proxy access for a newborn is set up automatically once the baby's record is linked to the mother's account. Adult caregivers can request access in their MyChart account.

“It is a straightforward process,” Sudomir says, who uses proxy access to help manage his mother's care. “Once it is set up, you can easily switch between your record and theirs inside your own account.”

The Most Important Security Habit

When it comes to keeping health information secure, Sudomir has one piece of advice above all others: pause, which means pausing before taking any action (clicking, responding, calling, etc.)

“The great majority of these incidents happen because someone did not stop and think before they reacted,” Sudomir relays. “We are all in a hurry. Just pause, step back, and then go a direct route to check your information.”

Quick Tip Sheet: Top 10 Things to Know About Medical Record Security

• Medical records are high-value targets. A credit card can be canceled. Your health history and Social Security number don't expire.
• Your actual files are safe. A scam or security event doesn't delete your records. Texas Health keeps your care history backed up.
• Scammers target children. Theft of a child's identity often goes unnoticed for years. Freezing a child's credit file is free.
• Fake login pages are on the rise. Criminals build copycat portal pages to capture patient passwords.
• Urgency is a red flag. Real messages from Texas Health are informational. Scammers rely on pressure.
• A familiar sender isn't proof. Scammers can fake the “from” line on an email.
• Always go direct. Never click links or call numbers inside an unexpected message. Open the MyChart app or the official site yourself.
• Turn on two-step verification. It's the single biggest upgrade you can make to account security.
• Use proxy access, not shared logins. It's the safe way to help a child or aging parent.
• Pause before you click. Stopping to think is the best defense there is.

Need MyChart Help in North Texas?

If you have questions about a message claiming to come from Texas Health, or you need help setting up proxy access, contact the Texas Health MyChart Support Team:

• Website: texashealth.org/MyChart
• Phone: 682-236-6700
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Central time