A massive cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group’s tech unit last year exposed the sensitive information of approximately 192.7 million people, the U.S. health department’s website revealed on Thursday.
This significant update surpasses the company’s initial estimate of 190 million individuals affected, disclosed in January. The incident, which came to light in February last year, is recorded as the largest healthcare data breach in U.S. history.
The breach occurred when the “Blackcat” ransomware group infiltrated Change Healthcare, a part of UnitedHealth Group’s tech unit, causing substantial disruptions in claims processing and affecting patients and healthcare providers across the nation.
A spokesperson for UnitedHealth confirmed the final tally of 192.7 million impacted individuals, clarifying that the numbers would vary by state. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights has officially documented this figure on its list of data breaches.
The compromised information is believed to include a range of sensitive data, such as health insurance member IDs, patient diagnoses, treatment information, Social Security numbers, and billing codes used by healthcare providers.
