Penalty Amount
$365,212
Aetna, Inc. settled with New Jersey and other states over allegations that it improperly disclosed protected health information of thousands of individuals through mailings that revealed HIV/AIDS status and AFib study participation. The settlement requires Aetna to implement policy reforms, hire an independent consultant, and pay a civil penalty of $365,211.59 to New Jersey.
Aetna must implement policy and training reforms to safeguard health information, hire an independent consultant to evaluate and monitor compliance with injunctive terms, and pay a civil penalty of $365,211.59 to New Jersey.
In-house legal teams should review all agreements involving protected health information (PHI), such as business associate agreements (BAAs) with vendors, customer contracts for health services, and employee confidentiality agreements. Key clauses to scrutinize include data sharing provisions, confidentiality obligations, breach notification requirements, and compliance with HIPAA and state privacy laws like the New Jersey AIDS Assistance Act. Specific attention should be paid to mailing and disclosure protocols to prevent inadvertent exposure of sensitive information, such as HIV/AIDS status or study participation. Revisions may be needed to mandate secure mailing practices (e.g., opaque envelopes), require regular training on PHI handling, include audit rights for monitoring third-party compliance, and update consent mechanisms for health-related communications.
Entity
Aetna, Inc.
Also known as: Aetna
Industry
InsuranceOfficial Press Release
https://www.njoag.gov/ag-grewal-reaches-settlement-with-aetna-over-privacy-violations-aetna-mailings-improperly-disclosed-addressees-protected-health-information/
New Jersey Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-consumer-affairs/
"settlement agreement with Aetna, Inc."
"Aetna will pay a civil penalty of $365,211.59 to New Jersey."
"violated the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)"
"The New Jersey AIDS Assistance Act, for example, prohibits the disclosure of any record that contains identifying information about a person who has, or is suspected of having, AIDS or HIV, without the person’s written consent or statutory authorization."
"improperly disclosed protected health information"
A multistate coalition co-led by New Jersey won a federal court order rejecting the Trump Administration’s decision not to request funding for the CFPB. The order struck down that decision and directed the Administration to follow the law and fund the agency; no monetary penalty or privacy violation is described.
New Jersey’s Attorney General and Division of Consumer Affairs alerted the public that three synthetic kratom-related compounds became illegal to possess or sell in the state under a temporary federal scheduling order. The release describes a controlled-substance alert, not a privacy enforcement action, and identifies no company, privacy violation, or monetary penalty.
$2.3M
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings agreed to pay $2,287,455 to participating states and strengthen its security and vendor-management practices following an investigation into the 2019 breach at its debt-collection vendor, AMCA. The breach potentially exposed information of more than 27.5 million people nationwide, including sensitive information belonging to approximately 10.2 million LabCorp patients.
$694.0M
New Jersey's Attorney General and Division of Consumer Affairs, along with 41 Attorneys General, reached a $694 million settlement with subprime auto lender Credit Acceptance Corporation over allegations it originated unaffordable loans its own systems predicted borrowers could not repay, employed aggressive debt-collection tactics, and failed to prevent deceptive vehicle-service contract and GAP product 'packing' by dealers. The multistate settlement stepped in after the CFPB permanently dropped its 2023 enforcement action against CAC in 2025. CAC will provide $60 million in cash restitution, $634 million in debt relief, an additional $15 million to the states, and implement injunctive lending reforms including loan off ramps, pre-loan disclosures, add-on packing safeguards, and a seven-year vehicle price cap. Note: this is a consumer-protection lending enforcement action, not a privacy matter; violation categories are best-fit mappings from the available taxonomy.
$650K
The New Jersey Attorney General and Division of Consumer Affairs announced that Match Group, Inc. will pay $650,000 and change its business practices to settle allegations that it misrepresented or failed to disclose its criminal background screening policies and practices to New Jersey users, violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and the Internet Dating Safety Act. Under a Consent Order, Match must accurately represent its screening policies, notify existing New Jersey members of updated disclosures within 150 days, and post clear and conspicuous disclosures and safety notifications about the limitations of criminal background screenings.
$96.5M
New Jersey and a coalition of states and territories obtained preliminary approval for a plan to distribute funds from settlements with generic drug manufacturers accused of conspiring to raise drug prices. The settlements total approximately $96.5 million, and eligible consumers may submit claims for compensation.