Dive Brief:
- Anthem announced Wednesday that the company is offering impacted consumers free credit monitoring and identity-theft protection services due to the historic data breach that recently compromised their personal and health data.
- The services are being offered at no charge for the duration of two years, with enrollment details available at anthemfacts.com.
- Anthem says they expect very high demand for these protection services. "Our goal is to provide peace of mind to consumers, while minimizing frustration," Anthem spokeswoman Kristin Binns wrote.
Dive Insight:
The offering has the appearance that it was prompted, as opposed to proactive; Reuters reports that Anthem had received a letter from 10 state attorneys general the day before the announcement, asking that monitoring and protection services be made available immediately.
According to anthemfacts.com, Anthem is working with AllClear ID to provide services for members of affected Anthem plans dating back to 2004.
The free two-year monitoring and protection services "exceed what has been customary in similar circumstances," according to Binns' statement. Perhaps so, although arguably, the scope of the breach also exceeds what has been customary in similar circumstances.