It Begins, Obamacare Enrollees Info Compromised … 400 Connecticut Health-Exchange Enrollees’ Information May Be Compromised

And so it begins … 400 Connecticut Obamacare health-exchange enrollees’ information may have been compromised. A backpack was recovered in Hartford, Connecticut that held “four notepads with personal information for approximately 400 individuals. The backpack also contained Access Health CT paperwork and it appears as though some of that personal information may be associated with Access Health CT accounts. According to the New Haven Register, Hartford Police spokesman Lt. Brian Foley said an officer responded at about 2:15 p.m. to 280 Trumbull St. to meet with an Access Health CT employee regarding an employee possibly taking customer’s personal information. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spokesman Aaron Albright said in a statement, “This situation does not involve consumers who have used HealthCare.gov.” Of course those words are about as reputable as the Obamacare, Healthcare.gov website roll-out. These are exactly the concerns many individuals warned of with the use and potential abuse by counselors for the exchanges known as “navigators.”

The personal information of around 400 health-exchange enrollees may be compromised, according to a statement issued today by Access Health CT CEO Kevin Counihan.

The statement notes that a backpack was recovered in Hartford that held “four notepads with personal information for approximately 400 individuals. The backpack also contained Access Health CT paperwork and it appears as though some of that personal information may be associated with Access Health CT accounts. It is still unclear where the backpack came from, and we are working [with] the Hartford Police Department to investigate, and contact the individuals whose information may be compromised. … Let me be clear: we are sorry this happened. This is a very serious situation and we will hold the person or persons who are responsible to account.”

Kathleen Tallarita, the government and public affairs outreach manager for Access Health CT, told National Review Online by phone that the health exchange does not know yet whether identity theft has occurred,  but “we’re diligently looking into what’s happened.”

Statement from Access Health CT CEO Kevin Counihan:

“Earlier today, we received a report that an individual in Hartford discovered a backpack on Trumbull Street containing four notepads with personal information for approximately 400
individuals. The backpack also contained Access Health CT paperwork and it appears as though some of that personal information may be associated with Access Health CT accounts.

It is still unclear where the backpack came from, and we are working the Hartford Police Department to investigate, and contact the individuals whose information may be compromised.

Makes you wonder how many backpacks have made it out of these health-exchanges that were not found, doesn’t it?