In 2020, Dental Care Alliance, LLC, a dental support organization with more than 320 affiliated dental practices across 20 states, suffered a data breach that compromised the personal information of more than 1 million patients ³.
The breach occurred on September 18, 2020, was detected on October 11, and was contained on October 13 ³. According to a breach notification submitted to the Maine Attorney General’s office, the hackers acquired some patient information, such as patient names, in combination with financial account numbers ³. However, Dental Care Alliance said only 10% of the affected individuals had their financial account number exposed ³.
For most individuals affected by the breach, the information potentially compromised was limited to names, addresses, diagnoses, treatment information, patient account numbers, billing information, dentists’ names, and health insurance information ³.
Dental Care Alliance acted quickly when the breach was discovered to secure its systems and prevent further unauthorized access. Additional safeguards were implemented to prevent further breaches, and further training was provided to employees on data security ³. The investigation into the breach is continuing, and Dental Care Alliance will continue to review the data potentially at risk. If new facts are learned about the attack ³, it will provide further information to affected individuals.
A proposed class action lawsuit was filed against Dental Care Alliance over the data breach. The case alleges that Dental Care Alliance maintained the data “recklessly,” which left the information vulnerable to cyberattacks ¹. The Dental Care Alliance has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit in response to a data breach affecting more than 1.7 million individuals. A fund of $3 million has been created to cover claims from individuals affected by the breach ².
This incident highlights the importance of strong cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive healthcare information and prevent data breaches.
(1) Dental Care Alliance Data Breach Impacts More Than 1 Million Patients. https://www.hipaajournal.com/dental-care-alliance-data-breach-impacts-more-than-1-million-patients/
(2) Dental Care Alliance Hit with Class Action Over Data Breach Reportedly …. https://bing.com/search?q=Dental+Care+Alliance%2c+LLC+data+breach
(3) Dental Care Alliance Settles Class Action Data Breach Lawsuit for $3 …. https://www.hipaajournal.com/dental-care-alliance-settles-class-action-data-breach-lawsuit-for-3-million/
(4) Dental Care Alliance Hit with Class Action Over Data Breach Reportedly …. https://www.classaction.org/news/dental-care-alliance-hit-with-class-action-over-data-breach-reportedly-affecting-1m-patients
(5) Dental Network Accused of Losing Patient Info in Breach (1). https://news.bloomberglaw.com/privacy-and-data-security/dental-network-accused-of-losing-patient-health-info-in-breach
