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Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

#21
Note that the USPS also scans and stores images of the front and back of all mail it delivers, even if you don't opt in for their digital delivery service[0]. So this means that the USPS - and anybody else with access to their images, which includes law enforcement - now knows the HIV status of these people.

[0] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/us/postal-service-confirms...

Re: Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

#22
post #6
post #2

Oh neat, I just signed up for Aetna (first time working in America since ACA). Is this normal for them? Am I an idiot?

You shouldn't be downvoted for normal and reasonable questions, or even for self doubt. Aetna is terrible. The lobby against healthcare reform at every turn. They didn't want obamacare/ACA they didn't want to compete accross state lines, they want to be able to exempt people from pre-existing conditions, they want to give people the run-around. They are not trustworthy and they are run by bad people. (don't beat up o…

Awesome. I can't change my decision for another year, and then only to Blue Cross. Are they also terrible?

Re: Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

#23
post #12
post #2

Oh neat, I just signed up for Aetna (first time working in America since ACA). Is this normal for them? Am I an idiot?

If you know how to "don't take no for an answer" I'll say optimistically, you'll be alright. My experience with my wife's health care (Aetna) has been that she will call, try to get an issue resolved, be told "there is no resolution possible" enough times by enough different people that she is ready to give up. Then we call together, and suddenly the story changes. The particular issue we were dealing with, is not re…

1) know who to appeal to outside the company. This is the nuclear option. It's usually listed in fine print on every paper denial.

2) "My (partner) works in insurance. He does shit like this for a living. Please don't make me have to (goto 1)".

3) Feel free to cite the law where relevant, on paper, certified mail. The response is invariably "this is wrong, you misunderstand the law, but we will make an exception and (follow the fucking law this once.)"

I was in health insurance, management level, before I went into medicine.

Re: Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

#24
post #22
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You shouldn't be downvoted for normal and reasonable questions, or even for self doubt. Aetna is terrible. The lobby against healthcare reform at every turn. They didn't want obamacare/ACA they didn't want to compete accross state lines, they want to be able to exempt people from pre-existing conditions, they want to give people the run-around. They are not trustworthy and they are run by bad people. (don't beat up o…

Awesome. I can't change my decision for another year, and then only to Blue Cross. Are they also terrible?

The last time I had insurance in the states (before moving away) was with Blue Cross.

I didn't personally have any problems, and generally zero problems with mental health car (my ex needed it). I don't know if it makes a difference, but my employer (a major pharmacy chain) merely hired them to administer their health plans and funded it through the company. When they dealt with me, they weren't really using their funds.

Re: Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

#25
post #22
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You shouldn't be downvoted for normal and reasonable questions, or even for self doubt. Aetna is terrible. The lobby against healthcare reform at every turn. They didn't want obamacare/ACA they didn't want to compete accross state lines, they want to be able to exempt people from pre-existing conditions, they want to give people the run-around. They are not trustworthy and they are run by bad people. (don't beat up o…

Awesome. I can't change my decision for another year, and then only to Blue Cross. Are they also terrible?

In our state, they are pure awful.

Re: Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

#26
post #6
post #2

Oh neat, I just signed up for Aetna (first time working in America since ACA). Is this normal for them? Am I an idiot?

You shouldn't be downvoted for normal and reasonable questions, or even for self doubt. Aetna is terrible. The lobby against healthcare reform at every turn. They didn't want obamacare/ACA they didn't want to compete accross state lines, they want to be able to exempt people from pre-existing conditions, they want to give people the run-around. They are not trustworthy and they are run by bad people. (don't beat up o…

Competing across state lines means all insurance will be regulated by the state with rules that most favor the insurer, it isn't all that likely to be good for consumers.

The banking renaissance in South Dakota is a result of a similar situation.

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/07/how-cit...

Re: Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

#28

Note that the USPS also scans and stores images of the front and back of all mail it delivers, even if you don't opt in for their digital delivery service[0]. So this means that the USPS - and anybody else with access to their images, which includes law enforcement - now knows the HIV status of these people. [0] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/us/postal-service-confirms...

Man, the lawsuit from this is going to be huge.

Re: Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

#29

Reading further in, it was a screw-up on the paper envelope that had too big of a window and referred to HIV treatment connected to the person's name. This is really bad, but it was 12k localized instances of crummy physical mailing. Its pretty bad, but it's not like this was "300k people leaked by hackers for ransom".

This could have been prevented, though, and now folks could have to deal with a lot of harassment. There are still folks out there that think AIDS is a punishment from god for a sinful lifestyle or will assume you are gay (with all the discrimination that comes with it). Yet other folks finding out will simply stop using normal gestures with you and stand further back, simply because they are afraid they'll magically catch aids.

Sure, it wasn't 300k people leaked by hackers for ransom. It was giving folks reason to discriminate against 12k people. Does it matter if it was localized?

Re: Aetna accidentally exposed customer HIV statuses in clear envelope windows

#30

Reading further in, it was a screw-up on the paper envelope that had too big of a window and referred to HIV treatment connected to the person's name. This is really bad, but it was 12k localized instances of crummy physical mailing. Its pretty bad, but it's not like this was "300k people leaked by hackers for ransom".

Phew, they only needlessly and carelessly divulged 12,000 people's HIV status.

I never said it was a good thing.

Even though the badness of the situation, I'm saying it would have been terribly worse with mass leaks of the DB this came from. It's not like we in the tech community have seen leaks like that...

Regardless, I see this as a bad screw-up with with no ill intent behind it. It was literally a "too large window" on an envelope...

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