Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
With CareFirst Data Breach, Hackers May Have Accessed Personal Data For Lawmakers, House Employees
House lawmakers were warned Thursday night that their personal data may have been compromised in a cyberattack involving health care plans from CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield. In an email to lawmakers obtained by POLITICO, House administration officials said hackers may have gained access to 鈥渓imited personal information for House employees鈥 鈥 including members enrolled in Blue Cross Blue Shield plans set up under Obamacare. (French, 5/21)
Information-technology staffers at CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield believed they had contained a data hack back in June, 2014. But on Wednesday, the not-for-profit insurer serving Maryland, Washington and northern Virginia, said the personal information of 1.1 million individuals was breached. Experts say any delay in responding to a breach could magnify the compromised security and increase public relations damage. (Rubenfire, 5/21)