HHS OCR report · 2016
Blue Shield of California data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Blue Shield of California
- Entity type
- Health Plan
- State
- California
- Individuals affected
- 20,764
- Submission date
- Jan 14, 2016
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Network Server
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
On December 7, 2015, Blue Shield of California, the covered entity (CE), discovered that its servers were breached via social engineering at its call centers in Costa Rica. The breach affected 20,764 patients’ protected health information (PHI). The types of PHI involved included patients’ names, addresses, dates of births, and social security numbers. The CE provided breach notification to HHS, affected individuals, the media. In response to the breach, the CE disabled all existing login...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Other reports by Blue Shield of California
| Covered entity | State | Entity type | Individuals | Submitted | Type of breach | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Shield of California | CA | Health Plan | 93,921 | Sep 29, 2025 | Unauthorized Access/Disclosure | Archive (closed) |
| Blue Shield of California | CA | Business Associate | 607 | Sep 29, 2025 | Unauthorized Access/Disclosure | Archive (closed) |
| Blue Shield of California | CA | Health Plan | 783 | Jul 21, 2025 | Unauthorized Access/Disclosure | Archive (closed) |
| Blue Shield of California | CA | Business Associate | 673 | Jun 23, 2025 | Unauthorized Access/Disclosure | Under investigation |
| Blue Shield of California | CA | Business Associate | 1,543 | Jun 6, 2025 | Unauthorized Access/Disclosure | Under investigation |
| Blue Shield of California | CA | Business Associate | 4,700,000 | Apr 9, 2025 | Unauthorized Access/Disclosure | Archive (closed) |
| Blue Shield of California | CA | Health Plan | 624 | Feb 28, 2025 | Unauthorized Access/Disclosure | Archive (closed) |
| Blue Shield of California | CA | Health Plan | 1,506 | Jul 12, 2022 | Hacking/IT Incident | Archive (closed) |
| Blue Shield of California | CA | Health Plan | 1,519 | Nov 19, 2021 | Hacking/IT Incident | Archive (closed) |
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Blue Shield of California data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 20,764 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Jan 14, 2016.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Unauthorized Access/Disclosure, with the breached information located in: Network Server.
Is the investigation still open?
No. The report is in the OCR portal archive, which holds reports where OCR has closed its review.
Is a breach notice letter from Blue Shield of California legitimate?
This site cannot verify letters. Check the sender against the organisation's official website and the HHS OCR breach portal, and avoid calling numbers or clicking links only listed in an unexpected message. See our guide on what to do after a data breach notice.
Source: HHS OCR Breach Portal, OCR export October 2026. Network USA is not affiliated with HHS or Blue Shield of California.