Blue Cross Gets an Examination from Dr. Blumenthal
Updated 3:39 PM EST, Mon, Nov 9, 2009
Insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield has Attorney General Richard Blumenthal taking its temperature after one of the company's laptops was stolen.
Blumenthal says the insurer may have violated state law by taking too long to notify doctors and failing to secure the information in the first place.
After an employee reported a stolen laptop computer in Chicago, the company explained that at least 800,000 doctors nationwide were warned that some of their information – including Social Security numbers – was on the laptop. More than 18,000 health care providers in Connecticut may have been included.
The computer was stolen in late August, but Blumenthal said BCBS and its companies just informed providers in late October about the security breach.
“Failing to promptly notify providers of the breach is inexcusable – and a possible violation of state law. Waiting two months left providers severely at risk – needlessly and irresponsible exposing them to financial mayhem.”
While BCBS is offering those doctors, therapists and others a year of identity theft protection, Blumenthal says it does not go far enough. He’s pushing for at least two.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Sheild, which is the Connecticut arm of BCBS, explained that this was a different division, called the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. They also explained that no medical information or Protected Health Information was contained in the data.
"We believe we acted with all due diligence in order to minimize unnecessary delay of our notice to providers."
The company explained it has extended credit monitoring to two years.
First Published: Nov 9, 2009 1:49 PM EST
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