The first massive data breach of 2015 hit one of the country’s largest insurance issuers, Anthem, Inc., including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and other related entities (Anthem). The incident reportedly affected over 80 million persons who are or were covered under a policy or program insured or serviced by Anthem. The personal note from Anthem’s CEO, Joseph R. Swedish, and the Anthem Facts (or FAQs), seek to provide helpful information to the millions of individuals affected. These communications address what is known about the incident, describe the kinds of information compromised, warn affected persons about potential email attacks, and advise that there is more information coming.
But there is not much information at this point for employers that are plan sponsors of group health plans and other welfare plans serviced by Anthem either as an insurance issuer or a third party claims administrator (TPA). To assist employers, we prepared some FAQs that can be accessed at the link below, along with some key considerations and action items.