This screenshot posted to Naval Hospital Okinawa's Facebook page on Nov. 8, 2024, shows a website posing as the MHS Genesis Patient Portal. (U.S. Navy)
The Defense Health Agency is warning patients about a website posing as its online military records system and patient portal, Military Health System Genesis.
Defense Health Network Central posted a cyber safety alert Friday morning on its official Facebook page.
“If you find any websites that reference the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal or other information about MHS GENESIS that are not part of the .mil domain, those are not official government websites or affiliated with the Department of Defense or Military Health System,” the post states.
Hospitals at military bases in Japan posted warnings on their official Facebook pages Friday morning about an “impostor website” claiming to be the patient portal, which is used to book medical appointments.
The legitimate website is https://patientportal.mhsgenesis.health.mil, the posts state.
“Any web address ending in anything other than .mil will not take you to the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal and may not be secure,” the warnings state.
Naval Hospital Okinawa posted that the fake website points users to a mobile app available for iPhone and Android, but MHS Genesis has no such app.
Patients who visit the fake site are at risk of having “their personal information obtained by a party not associated with the Military Health System if they attempt to access their health information using any of the links on the website,” the post states.
“The DHA Cyber Operations Center is actively blocking a fake portal site using a .info web address,” the post states.
Naval Hospital Okinawa posted screenshots of the fake site along with a description.
The bogus website features no branding but does link to the health agency and health system’s social media and other sites, including Department of Defense Self-Service Login, “which may give the appearance of being authentic,” the post states.
The false website includes a disclaimer at the bottom of each webpage: “This site is not affiliated with Military Health System nor TRICARE. All content is purely for the user’s information only.”
This screenshot posted to Naval Hospital Okinawa's Facebook page on Nov. 8, 2024, shows a website posing as the MHS Genesis Patient Portal. (U.S. Navy)
MHS Genesis came online in October 2023, but patients in Japan reported being unable to book appointments with the system for months afterward. In February, the system experienced a 4 ½ hour blackout that left patients unable to schedule appointments or tests or communicate with providers.
“Our primary concern has been informing our beneficiaries as quickly as possible so they can protect themselves by using only the official .mil website address for accessing their health information,” Defense Health Agency spokeswoman Regena Kowitz told Stars and Stripes by email Friday.
Stars and Stripes reporter Alex Wilson contributed to this report.
