US healthcare benefits management system provider discloses data breach

Since April 28, HealthPlan Services, Inc (HPS) has been notifying customers of a data breach affecting sensitive personal and health information of an undisclosed number of policyholders.

HPS is one of the largest independent providers of technology solutions for managing healthcare benefits in the US.

According to a data breach notification letter filed with the state of Maine’s Attorney General's Office, malicious individuals gained unauthorized access to HPS’s network in June 2022.

“HPS detected that some elements within our network had been affected by malware and, as a result, an unauthorized party accessed and/or acquired certain files or folders from portions of our network on June 23, 2022,” the notice reads. “Upon detecting the incident that same day, HPS commenced an immediate and thorough investigation, contained the network, and alerted law enforcement.”

Compromised data includes consumers’ names, Social Security Numbers and medical or health information. The company has yet to say how the incident occurred or how many victims it claimed.

The company also advises consumers to take precautionary measures to protect against identity crimes, including:

· Placing a security freeze on their credit files

· Reviewing financial statements and credit reports for suspicious activity

· Reviewing the “explanation of benefits” statement received from individual healthcare insurance providers for unrecognized items

· Reporting suspicious activity on credit reports with financial institutions and law enforcement agencies

Over the past decade, cybersecurity issues, including malicious attacks that expose the personally identifiable information and healthcare data of millions of consumers, have plagued the healthcare industry.

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