Anthem cybersecurity breach may impact students with UC SHIP
By Jeong Park
Feb. 5, 2015 4:39 p.m.
Students who have university health insurance may have had their personal information compromised after it was announced Wednesday that hackers breached the computer system of Anthem Inc.
Anthem provides insurance coverage for the University of California Students Health Insurance Program. UCLA students are automatically enrolled in UC SHIP but may choose to waive it.
About 26,000 undergraduate and graduate students at UCLA have UC SHIP, said UCLA spokeswoman Rebecca Kendall in an email.
UC spokeswoman Brooke Converse said no Anthem insurance plans are currently provided to University staff. However, many UC employees had Anthem insurance in the past, she said.
Anthem said in a statement Wednesday night that those who have had the coverage in the past may also be affected by the breach.
The company said hackers accessed data such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers or member health ID numbers, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and employment information.
However, the University said in a statement that Anthem does not possess Social Security numbers for UC students. It does not appear that hackers gained access to insurance holders’ medical history or credit card numbers, the company said in its statement.
The University said in the statement that it is in communication with the company. Anthem told the UC there is no indication that any personal information has been misused, according to the statement.
Converse said the UC may send information about the data breach to those potentially affected.
Anthem will inform those affected as it conducts an investigation on the matter, the statement said.
Compiled by Jeong Park, Bruin senior staff.
