Statement Of Aetna CEO And President Ronald A. Williams On Data Security
HARTFORD, Conn., April 26, 2006 — "Aetna has notified approximately 38,000 members that an Aetna employee’s laptop computer containing certain personal member information was stolen from an employee’s personal car in a public parking lot. These members are employed by two Aetna customers, and we are auditing our back-up files to ensure that all affected individuals will be notified. There is no indication that data on the laptop, which was secured with strong-password authentication, has been compromised, and we have no reason to believe that there has been any unauthorized use of it. Nevertheless, we have offered to pay for credit monitoring services for our affected members to help prevent any potential misuse of the information and we are contacting each affected individual directly with information on how to access this service.
"Aetna deeply regrets this incident and has apologized to our members. Each of us at Aetna is mindful that our members trust us with their medical and financial information, and we are vigilant about keeping that information secure. We periodically thoroughly review our data security policies and practices, and employ numerous measures to help protect information and minimize the risks of identity or data theft. These include technical and physical safeguards and employee education. In addition, every year all Aetna employees are required to complete data security training and certify that they are in compliance with all business conduct policies, including data security.
"In this case, our employee did not follow our corporate policies, and it was coupled with a criminal theft. In light of this, we are augmenting our efforts to ensure employee compliance with all Aetna security requirements."
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 27.9 million unique members with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. www.aetna.com
