Horizon BCBS to pay N.J. $1.1 million over stolen laptops

New Jersey-based insurance provider Horizon Healthcare Services Inc. agreed to pay the state $1.1 million to settle allegations that the theft of two laptops compromised the privacy of some 690,000 policyholders.

Without admitting any wrongdoing, the insurance company—doing business as Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey—also agreed in the Feb. 15 final consent judgment filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey to improve its data security practices and implement a corrective action plan, including hiring a third party to conduct risk analysis. The agreement was made public Feb. 17 by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

Horizon offers a variety of health insurance plans to more than 3.7 million New Jersey residents, according to a Feb. 14 state court complaint, filed by the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs.

Read the full story at Bloomberg: Horizon Healthcare to Pay N.J. $1.1M Over Stolen Laptops | Bloomberg BNA