Security Breach Impacts HMSA Members

A recent Anthem Inc. security breach may have impacted over 18,000 HMSA members who sought treatment in one of the 14 mainland states that Anthem Inc. operates in. Anthem members who have moved to Hawai’i may also be impacted.

The company is advising potentially affected individuals to visit its Anthem Facts website to learn more about the breach and to take advantage of services being offered by the company, such as identity repair assistance, child identity protection, and free credit monitoring.

Both the Hawai’i Insurance Division and the Office of Consumer Protection will monitor the breach, but the organizations also suggest that consumers take extra precautions, like reviewing their credit reports for unusual activity.

“We will continue discussions with Anthem and HMSA to ensure the members affected are notified in a timely manner and informed of the next steps and protections offered,” said Gordon Ito, insurance commissioner.

In addition to the actual breach, OCP is warning customers of the possibility of scammers who may attempt to take advantage of the Anthem security breach.

“This is a good time to remind everyone to never provide personal information to anyone unless you’re 100 percent sure that they are who they say they are,” said Stephen Levins, executive director for OCP. “The main point is to exercise caution. Just because someone says they’re calling from your bank or health insurance company doesn’t mean that they are.”

Customers should remain alert for phony e-mails and calls. If uncertain about the origin of a call, check with your phone book to confirm that the contact information is legitimate.

HMSA members interested in more information on the breach can visit the HMSA website.