Heritage
Foundation
Exclusive:
HealthCare.gov
Users Warn of Security Risk, Breach of Privacy
by Kelsey Harris and Rob
Bluey
November 2, 2013
Justin
Hadley logged on to
HealthCare.gov to evaluate his insurance options after his health
plan was canceled. What he discovered was an apparent security flaw
that disclosed eligibility letters addressed to individuals from
another state.
“I was in
complete
shock,” said Hadley, who contacted Heritage after becoming alarmed
at the breach of privacy.
Hadley, a
North Carolina
father, buys his insurance on the individual market. His insurance
company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, directed him to
HealthCare.gov in a cancellation letter he received in September.
After
multiple attempts to
access the problem-plagued website, Hadley finally made it past the
registration page Thursday. That’s when he was greeted with a
downloadable letter about eligibility — for two people in South
Carolina.
The
letter, dated October
8, acknowledges receipt of an application to the Health Insurance
Marketplace and the eligibility of family members to purchase health
coverage. The letter was addressed to Thomas Dougall, a lawyer from
Elgin, SC.
Hadley
shared a screenshot
and copy of the letter with redacted personal information.
For the
rest of this
article, including sample letters, go to Heritage Foundation
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