ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Attorneys at consumer rights law firm Hagens Berman are investigating MCNA Dental (Managed Care of North America), following reports of the largest healthcare data breach of 2023 so far. If you believe you are among the nearly nine million people whose sensitive personal information was compromised in this incident, you can join the investigation and help hold MCNA Dental accountable.
Compromised data includes names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license and other government-issued ID numbers, group plan names and numbers, Medicaid/Medicare ID numbers, bills and insurance claims, information about dental and orthodontic treatments and other private medical information including X-ray images.
How MCNA Dental Failed to Protect Vulnerable Customers
According to news reports, hackers gained unauthorized access to MCNA Dental’s computer network on Feb. 26, 2023, and made off with a hoard of sensitive personal data. A ransomware group called LockBit publicly claimed responsibility for the attack and demanded a $10 million ransom of the insurance company. When the ransom was not paid, the cybercriminals published stolen files on a dark web page in April. Cybersecurity experts warn, however, that it is too early to say definitively who was responsible for the attack.
“The sheer quantity and sensitive nature of the information compromised in this breach is staggering,” said Thomas E. Loeser, partner at Hagens Berman and the attorney leading the investigation. “Healthcare companies owe it to their customers to take every available measure to protect the precious data they collect, and MCNA failed in its duty.”
MCNA Dental is the nation’s largest dental insurer for government subsidized Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs, meaning that many insureds are low-income or belong to other vulnerable populations. Reports also indicate that children’s personal data was accessed during the breach.
Now, MCNA Dental customers are facing the possibility of identity theft, which reports say is the most common consequence of a data breach and happens to about 65% of victims. Victims of the MCNA data breach will be forced to undertake the arduous process of freezing their credit with all three credit reporting agencies and pay for credit reports, credit monitoring and other preventative measures.
What Should MCNA Dental Policyholders Do About Their Hacked Data?
Hagens Berman’s attorneys suggest that anyone who believes they may have been affected monitor their financial accounts for any suspicious activity. MCNA Dental has stated that it will be offering a year of free identity protection services, which may provide limited protection and notification of identity theft, according to the firm’s attorneys.
Experts are recommending that consumers freeze their credit with all three credit reporting agencies. If you elect to use any paid service to protect yourself from identity theft because of the MCNA data breach, be sure to save receipts showing your payments. You may be eligible for reimbursement through future legal actions.
“It’s essential that MCNA be held accountable for putting better security measures in place and compensating insureds who will now have to live with the threat of identity theft looming over them,” said Loeser.
The attorneys on the case include a former federal cyber-prosecutor and member of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section in Los Angeles, and Hagens Berman has extensive experience litigating cases of this nature. The firm was one of only a select few chosen to lead the lawsuits against T-Mobile for its 2021 breach, in response to which the carrier has agreed to pay $350 million into a settlement fund for customers. The firm has also filed a case against T-Mobile on behalf of more than 37 million consumers whose data was compromised in a separate 2022 data breach.
Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation law firm with a tenacious drive for achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. Since its founding in 1993, the firm’s determination has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.
