New Jersey's attorney general says insurance giant Aetna has agreed to pay a $365,000 fine for violating the privacy of thousands of policyholders in the state in two separate mailings.
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal says in a statement that Aetna also agreed to hire a consultant to evaluate the company's privacy practices.
In 2017, Aetna inadvertently revealed the HIV status of 12,000 patients in several states — including over 600 in New Jersey — by mailing envelopes with a large, clear window that showed information on how to purchase HIV medication.
In September, Aetna sent a mailing to 1,600 people — including more than 180 living in New Jersey — in envelopes that bore the name and logo for a study on a heart condition.
An Aetna spokesman says the company is "implementing measures designed to ensure something like this does not happen again."
