On April 21, 2023, Virginia Premier posted a notice of data breach on its website explaining that certain members’ personal information was compromised following a cybersecurity incident at one of the company’s vendors, NationsBenefits, LLC. Based on NationsBenefits’ official filing, the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to consumers’ names, Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, health insurance information and protected health information. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, NationsBenefits began sending out data breach notification letters on behalf of Virginia Premier. The letters were sent to all individuals who were impacted by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from NationsBenefits or Virginia Premier, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As we’ve previously discussed in other posts, healthcare providers and insurance companies are some of hackers’ prime targets due to the wealth of sensitive data they maintain on behalf of patients. These breaches necessarily increase patients’ risk of identity theft and other frauds. To learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft and what your legal options are in the wake of the Virginia Premier data breach, reach out to a data breach lawyer for assistance.

What We Know So Far About the Virginia Premier Breach

News of the Virginia Premier data breach is still fresh; however, what we know at this point comes from several sources, starting with a short post on the company’s website, which states, “One of our vendors, NationsBenefits, LLC, experienced a cybersecurity incident that affected certain members’ personal information.”

Upon clicking the link, users are taken to a NationsBenefits web page containing a data breach letter. This letter explains the incident, as summarized below:

NationsBenefits uses services provided by another company, Fortra, LLC, to securely exchange files with customers’ health plans. On January 30, 2023, Fortra experienced a data security incident in which hackers were able to access confidential information stored in a NationsBenefits database. This particular database contained information pertaining to Virginia Premier patients.

Fortra informed NationsBenefits of the incident on February 7, 2023, at which point NationsBenefits secured its own systems and launched an investigation. This investigation confirmed that certain customers’ sensitive information was made available to the unauthorized party through the Fortra data breach.

Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, NationsBenefits began to review the affected files to determine what information was compromised and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, Social Security number, address, phone number, health insurance information and protected health information.

It is not clear when NationsBenefits informed Virginia Premier of the incident. However, on April 21, 2023, Virginia Premier posted notice of the breach on its website. Additionally, NationsBenefits sent out data breach letters on various dates, starting on April 13, 2023.

More Information About Virginia Premier

Founded in 1995, Virginia Premier is a nonprofit managed care organization based in Richmond, Virginia. The company provides Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance exchange plans to more than 280,000 individuals throughout Virginia. Virginia Premier is jointly owned by Sentara Healthcare and VCU Health Systems. Virginia Premier employs more than 1,600 people and generates approximately $2 billion in annual revenue.

NationsBenefits Holding, LLC is a supplemental insurance benefits company based in Plantation, Florida. The company helps health plans deliver customized healthcare solutions to employers, for example, by providing payment platforms and member engagement solutions. NationsBenefits employs more than 500 people and generates approximately $467 million in annual revenue.