Esse Health Data Breach
NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from Esse Health, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.
On April 21, 2025, Esse Health, an independent physicians’ group based in St. Louis, Missouri, discovered a significant cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to its network systems (the “Data Breach”) . The incident disrupted patient-facing systems—including phone and EMR portal—and prompted an immediate investigation with external cybersecurity experts and law enforcement. By June 20, 2025, Esse Health confirmed that a cybercriminal had viewed and exfiltrated certain files. On June 30, 2025, Esse Health notified the Maine Attorney General’s Office that approximately 263,601 individuals were impacted.
Recently, Esse Health begun sending data breach notification letters to affected individuals. These letters include an offer of complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services through IDX. If you received a data breach notification letter from Esse Health, it indicates that your information was affected by the Data Breach.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Esse Health is one of the largest independent physician-owned, physician-directed groups in the Midwest, with more than 100 primary care and specialty providers across roughly 45 locations. The organization offers a comprehensive range of services, including primary care, pediatric care, allergy and asthma treatment, and specialty medical services to communities throughout the St. Louis region.
WHAT INFORMATION IS INVOLVED IN THE ESSE HEALTH DATA BREACH?
The types of information compromised vary by individual but may include the following:
- Full names
- Addresses
- Dates of birth
- Health insurance information
- Medical record numbers
- Patient account numbers
- Certain health-related information.
This information is called your Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”). It tells others about you and is considered part of your identity. Businesses are required to secure this information or risk facing statutory penalties, among other legal penalties. Stolen PII can be used by identity thieves to engage in fraudulent activity using your identity.
Personal medical information (a specific type of PII) is referred to as Protected Health Information (“PHI”). It is protected under both state and federal law. Healthcare providers and other businesses who handle PHI are required to protect that information. Like stolen PII, stolen PHI can be used by identity thieves to engage in fraudulent activity using your identity. Quite often, PII and PHI are used in conjunction by hackers.
The best way to protect yourself after a data breach is to sign up for credit and identity protection services as soon as possible.
California offers extra protections and legal rights to its residents through the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).
NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from Esse Health, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.