Anthem Offers Credit Monitoring to Hacking Victims

Three weeks after announcing one of the largest data security breaches in US history, health insurer Anthem is working to rehabilitate its reputation by helping consumers protect themselves from identity theft.

Anthem is giving identity repair assistance and credit monitoring services to current and former customers dating back to 2004. Details about the services, which are being provided by AllClear ID, are being emailed to potentially affected clients. Customers will be able to access the services any time in the next 24 months, Anthem said in a press release.

The offer comes as Anthem’s latest numbers suggest 78.8 million people might have had their data accessed by the yet-unidentified hackers. Of the nearly 80 million people, 60-70 million are current and former Anthem customers. The insurer said the remaining 8.8-18.8 million are from non-members who lived in a state in which Anthem operated.

In its email to potentially affected customers, Anthem outlined the information they believe may have been compromised.

“The information accessed may have included names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, health care ID numbers, home addresses, email addresses, employment information, including income data,” the company said.

Anthem said it does not believe credit card or banking information was compromised, nor has the company found evidence that certain medical details, such as test results, were stolen.

The AllClear ID program includes identity theft repair services, which aim to repair a customer’s credit score should identity theft result in financial losses or negatively impact the person’s credit score. The service also includes child identity protection, since child data, such as Social Security numbers, could also be used to open credit cards or other accounts.

Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating the hacking. In an update this week, the agency said it was close to identifying the hackers, though it was unclear whether the FBI would make its findings public.