Healthcare Assistance Plan for Employees of Seventh-day Adventist Organization of the North American Division

The breach at the Healthcare Assistance Plan for Employees of Seventh-day Adventist Organization of the North American Division (NAD) in Maryland involved unauthorized access to Oakwood University’s network between March 7, 2022, and March 14, 2022. This cybersecurity incident potentially compromised sensitive information of Plan members, including names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers, member identification numbers, and limited claims information. Oakwood University, a participating employer in the Plan, took immediate action by launching an investigation with the help of a cybersecurity firm. To mitigate the impact on affected individuals, the Plan offered a complimentary one-year membership to Experian IdentityWorksSM, a service designed to detect misuse of personal information and provide identity protection support. The Plan also established a dedicated, toll-free call center for individuals seeking more information about the incident[1].

The Healthcare Assistance Plan for Employees of Seventh-day Adventist Organizations of the North American Division, also known as the Ascend to Wholeness Healthcare Plan, is a health insurance plan that provides a range of benefits for medical, vision, dental, and prescription expenses. It is self-funded through employer and employee contributions, with each participating employer responsible for funding the claims of its own employees and their dependents. The Plan is administered by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, with duties delegated to Adventist Risk Management, Inc[2][5].

This incident was one of several healthcare data breaches reported in Maryland in 2022, affecting 2,008 individuals. It highlights the ongoing challenges and risks associated with securing sensitive health information in an increasingly digital healthcare environment[3].

Citations:

1. https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/security-breaches/documents/oakwood-20220513.pdf
2. https://ascendtowholeness.org/getmedia/bf092663-2a61-4989-b1d7-d872d0216ff2/Notice-of-Privacy-Practice.pdf
3. https://stacker.com/maryland/biggest-health-care-data-breaches-you-should-know-about-maryland
4. https://www.nadadventist.org/departments/health-ministries
5. https://ascendtowholeness.org/getmedia/e032c437-acbc-4bec-a9c9-826b1630cc82/2024-01-ATW-SPD-FINAL-Only-A.pdf
6. https://www.coursehero.com/file/154531316/mha508wk4pdf/
7. https://ascendtowholeness.org/getmedia/aa8a71ba-7218-442d-a8f8-d4dda4ec2af6/2022-FSA-SummaryPlanDoc-SPD-EN.aspx?ext=.pdf
8. https://breachdata.topwords.me/?limit=20&offset=1500&sort=data_source
9. https://www.hipaajournal.com/managed-care-of-north-america-hacking-incident-impacts-8-9-million-individuals/
10. https://www.southern.edu/administration/hr/docs/Q_retirement.pdf