UnitedHealthcare announces data breach involving South Carolina residents

FILE – A sign stands on UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s campus in Minnetonka, Minn., on Oct. 16, 2012. UnitedHealth Group said Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, that it completed its acquisition of Change Healthcare, closing the roughly $8 billion deal a couple weeks after a judge rejected a challenge from federal regulators. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)

by: Robert Cox

Posted: Sep 3, 2023 / 04:57 AM EDT

Updated: Sep 3, 2023 / 04:57 AM EDT

(WSPA) – UnitedHealthcare announced Friday that the personal health information of some South Carolina residents accessed during a data breach.

According to UHC, they discovered on December 29, 2022, that an unauthorized third party was able to access a UHC broker portal.

The company said they notified law enforcement to investigate.

The personal information may have included names, member ID numbers, plan types, and county and state of residency.

UHC stressed that the data did not include social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, or any financial account information.

UnitedHealthcare said they determined that the unauthorized third party was able to access the data between December 1, 2022, and January 25, 2023, while they tried to take funds intended for agents and brokers.

People who are affected by the breach will be notified by UHC. The company said they placed additional safeguards on the broker portal to minimize risk of a similar breach in the future.