On May 2, 2023, Paramount Health Care posted a notice of data breach on its website after learning that hackers were able to access and potentially remove patient information through a compromised database maintained by NationsBenefits, LLC. Based on NationsBenefits’ official filing, the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to consumers’ names, Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, health insurance information and protected health information. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, NationsBenefits began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals who were impacted by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from Paramount Health Care or NationsBenefits, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, the NationsBenefits breach impacted multiple organizations across the country, affecting over 3 million patients. This makes the NationsBenefits breach one of the largest data breaches in 2023. As is the case with all similar incidents, victims now face a significantly greater risk of identity theft and other frauds. To learn more about what steps you can take to reduce the risk of fraud, and whether you may have a data breach claim against any of the companies involved, consult with a data breach lawyer.
What We Know So Far About the Paramount Healthcare Breach
News of the Paramount Healthcare data breach is still fresh; however, what we know at this point comes from a post on the company’s website, which links to NationsBenefits site. According to this source, NationsBenefits uses services provided by Fortra, LLC to securely exchange files with customers’ health plans. On January 30, 2023, Fortra experienced a data security incident where hackers accessed sensitive information stored in a NationsBenefits database. This particular database contained information pertaining to Paramount Health Care patients.
Fortra informed NationsBenefits of the incident on February 7, 2023, at which point NationsBenefits secured its own systems and launched an investigation. This investigation confirmed that certain customers’ sensitive information was made available to the unauthorized party through the Fortra data breach.
Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, NationsBenefits began to review the affected files to determine what information was compromised and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, Social Security number, address, phone number, health insurance information and protected health information.
On April 13, 2023, and several times since then, NationsBenefits sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident, including Paramount Health Care customers.
More Information About Paramount Health Care and NationsBenefits
Founded in 1988, Paramount Health Care is an insurance company located in Maumee, Ohio. Paramount covers more than 250,000 members in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. The company is an affiliate of ProMedica, a large healthcare network based in Toledo, Ohio. Paramount Health Care employs approximately 588 people and generates $382 million in revenue each year. ProMedica employs more than 56,000 people and generates approximately $6.3 million in annual revenue.
NationsBenefits Holding, LLC is a supplemental insurance benefits company based in Plantation, Florida. The company helps health plans deliver customized healthcare solutions to employers, for example, by providing payment platforms and member engagement solutions. NationsBenefits employs more than 500 people and generates approximately $467 million in annual revenue.
