Alpine Agency Data Breach Exposes PHI and PII

Alpine Agency of the Midlands LLC, a small, independent health and benefits insurance agency in South Carolina, disclosed a data breach that affected individuals in the United States.

In November 2025, Alpine identified unusual activity in one of its email accounts and began investigating.

The investigation determined that unauthorized access to the account began on or about Oct. 28, 2025, and that an unauthorized third party may have accessed or downloaded copies of emails and attachments stored in the affected email account during the period of unauthorized access. The email account was used in connection with Alpine's insurance agency operations, and the emails and attachments within it contained personal information belonging to various individuals.

As an insurance agency, Alpine receives and maintains personal information supplied by insurance carriers, employers, health plans and other organizations about individuals connected to insurance and benefits-related matters. As a result, some of the affected individuals may not have had a direct relationship with Alpine but could have had their information shared with the agency through an employer, insurance carrier or health plan.

The types of personal information involved varied by individual but may have included first and last name, date of birth, address and health insurance information and Social Security numbers.

The breach was reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on July 13, 2026. The company posted a notice on its website in July 2026.

Alpine Agency of the Midlands' response to the breach

Alpine is notifying potentially affected individuals directly by first-class U.S. mail.

Alpine encouraged individuals to remain vigilant by reviewing their financial account statements, healthcare statements and credit reports for any suspicious or unfamiliar activity. The company also recommended that individuals report any suspicious activity or discrepancies to law enforcement.

For individuals who have questions or need more information about the incident, Alpine set up a dedicated toll-free phone line. People can call 1-800-298-2295 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, excluding major U.S. holidays.