Thousands of Arizonans had HIV status revealed in Aetna mailer
Aug 25, 2017, 2:09 PM | Updated: 2:20 pm
This Thursday, June 1, 2017, photo, shows a sign on the campus of the Aetna headquarters, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes)
(AP Photo/Bill Sikes)
PHOENIX — Thousands of Aetna customers in Arizona may have had their HIV status accidentally revealed after the health care insurer sent out a mailer about ordering prescription HIV medication.
According to NPR, information about ordering the HIV medication could be seen through the envelope’s clear window, where a customer’s address is normally revealed.
Aetna sent the mailer to approximately 12,000 customers nationwide on July 28, but it is unclear how many were affected because of the way the letter was positioned in the envelope.
(Photo from Legal Action Center)
For example, the phrase, “Aetna health plan, when filling prescriptions for HIV Medic…” could be seen clearly through the window in a mailer sent to a customer in Brooklyn, New York.
The Legal Action Center in New York City and the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania sent a cease-and-desist letter to Aetna, demanding that the company breached the privacy of customers in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington by “sending mail that illegally discloses that they are taking HIV medication.”
“These privacy violations have caused incalculable harm to Aetna beneficiaries,” the letter continues. “A number of the individuals who contacted the above-referenced organizations reported that family members and neighbors learned their confidential information regarding their use of HIV medications as a result of Aetna’s breach.”
In a press release, the center said the letters were sent to customers who are currently taking medication for HIV treatment and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), “a regimen that helps prevent a person from acquiring HIV.”
The cease-and-desist letter doesn’t state how many people were affected and demanded that Aetna “take corrective measures to ensure that this gross breach of privacy and confidentiality never reoccurs.”
In a statement to NPR, Aetna said it apologizes and the company is “undertaking a full review of our processes to ensure something like this never happens again.”
