First HIPAA Lawsuit by Connecticut Attorney General: Health Net Sued for Data Breach of Patient Records
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced last week that he is suing Health Net of Connecticut for failing to secure private patient medical records and financial information involving 446,000 Connecticut enrollees. A further portion of the complaint is that Health Net failed to promptly notify consumers that their data was breached.
“Protected private medical records and financial information on almost a half million Health Net enrollees in Connecticut were exposed for at least six months—most likely by thieves—before Health Net notified appropriate authorities and consumers,” said Blumenthal. “The staggering scope of the data loss, and deliberate delay in disclosure, are legally actionable and ethically unacceptable. Even more alarming than the breach, Health Net downplayed and dismissed the danger to patients and consumers.”
This is the first legal action by a state attorney general involving violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).