Premera Facing 9 Data Breach Class Action Lawsuits

Premera Blue Cross is facing nine class action lawsuits and continuing questions from top officials since the health insurer disclosed a massive data breach.

The Premera class action lawsuits, filed in a Washington federal court in Seattle on behalf of Premera customers from Washington, Nevada and Massachusetts, make similar allegations: that Premera was negligent, breached its contract with customers, violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act and failed to disclose the data breach in a timely manner.

The data breach class action lawsuits argue that Premera violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as the insurer’s own privacy policies, by allowing the data to be accessed. In doing so, the class action lawsuits say, the company has put customers at risk of identity theft, bank fraud, tax fraud and medical-identity fraud.

Additionally, the Premera data breach class action lawsuits suggest that the data breach could have been prevented. Three weeks before the hack, federal auditors warned Premera that its network-security procedures were inadequate.

Plaintiffs say Premera should be held financially responsible for any losses customers suffer, as well as award damages and restitution, immediately notify each person whose information was compromised, and prevent cyber attacks from happening in the future, according to the Premera data breach class action lawsuits.

Premera has said so far that there is no evidence any information was taken during the data breach.

Overview of Premera Data Breach

Who Is Affected?

Premera, the largest health insurance provider in Washington state, said publicly on March 17 that about 11 million current and former customers may have been victims of the cyber attack, which was discovered on January 29.

The company said the data breach initially took place eight months earlier on May 5, 2014. The Premera data breach could affect more than 6 million current and former Premera Blue Cross, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, Vivacity, Connexion Insurance Solutions, and Premera’s LifeWise affliates policy holders in Washington, Oregon and Arizona, as well as LifeWise Assurance policyholders.

What Information Was Accessed?

Premera has stated that the personal data of 11 million consumers that may have been involved in the breach dates as far back as 2002 and includes names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, addresses, bank account information and claim information, including medical information.

Who Is Behind the Attack?

Reports indicate that the FBI may have identified the attackers who perpetrated the data breach, but it is not known when they will release any specific information, and several security companies familiar with the investigation believe a Chinese-based hacker group may be behind the Premera data breach.

The cyber thieves reportedly created fake websites that resembled legitimate ones, even signed with valid digital certificates, and targeted employees in phishing campaigns designed to trick them into revealing their login information.

If you are a current or former member of any of the listed Premera health insurance companies, you may be eligible to participate in a class action lawsuit regarding this data breach.

UPDATE: September 2019, the Premera data breach class action settlement website is now active. Click here to learn more.

UPDATE 2: September 2019, the Premera Blue Cross data breach class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.

Join a Free Premera Blue Cross Data Breach Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were insured by Premera and/or its affiliates between 2002 and Jan. 29, 2015, you may have a legal claim for compensation. This includes all individuals who fall into one of the following categories:

• Premera Blue Cross subscriber or applicant
• Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska subscriber or applicant
• Vivacity applicant, customer, or member
• Connexion applicant, customer, or member
• Individuals “doing business” with Premera
• Members of other Blue Cross Blue Shield plans who sought treatment in Washington or Alaska
• Members of LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon and other Premera subsidiaries

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