Breach, Data Security

Premera breach spawns class action suits

In the two weeks since it disclosed that it had experienced a breach on May 5, 2014, Premera Blue Cross has been peppered with lawsuits from consumers who claim the health insurance provider was negligent in protecting their personal and health information.

So far, five class action suits have been filed against the company in a U.S. District Court in Seattle, saying, among other things, Premera violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act and delayed notification of customers, the Seattle Times reported.

The suits ask for financial compensation for any losses as well as for damages, and called for the company to notify all who might have been affected by the breach.

Meanwhile, Premera CEO Jeffrey Roe told Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., in response to her March 20 letter inquiring about the breach, that the company didn't know how its systems became infected with malware.

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