DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Coding error results in San Mateo Health Plan disclosing members' medical and personal details to other members

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Dissent

The Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM) in California  notified HHS of a breach involving paper records that affected 694 patients.  According to a notice prominently linked from the health plan’s home page, a programming error resulted in 700 approval notifications being mailed to the wrong members from April 1 to June 8, 2011:

The notifications were for certain medical procedures that require prior authorization (a service the Plan has to approve before it is provided). Once the Plan approves the service, it sends each member a notification letter, called an Authorization Approval. These notifications are considered Private Health Information (PHI).

Each HPSM Authorization Approval letter contains the member’s name, address, service requested, and HPSM member ID number. An HPSM Authorization Approval letter does not contain the member’s social security number.

HPSM discovered the Authorization Approval letter error on June 9, 2011 and immediately fixed the coding problem. HPSM also notified the appropriate state and federal agencies and alerted affected members.

At this time, HPSM does not have any information that unauthorized activity has taken place with the PHI of affected members, but it will monitor these accounts for suspicious activity, and follow up with members if needed.

If you are an HPSM member and have not received notification that your account was affected, then you are not one of the 700 members who were sent the wrong Authorization Approvals.

[…]

 


Related:

  • Two more entities have folded after ransomware attacks
  • Data breach feared after cyberattack on AMEOS hospitals in Germany
  • Premier Health Partners issues a press release about a breach two years ago. Why was this needed now?
  • Theft from Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe
  • North Country Healthcare responds to Stormous's claims of a breach
  • Texas Enacts Electronic Health Record Data Localization Law
Category: Health Data

Post navigation

← 3 sites hacked and data leaked in Operation Venezuela by @SwichSmoke
University of Missouri Health Care reports breach affecting 1,288 patients' payment billing information →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Scattered Spider Hijacks VMware ESXi to Deploy Ransomware on Critical U.S. Infrastructure
  • Hacker group “Silent Crow” claims responsibility for cyberattack on Russia’s Aeroflot
  • AIIMS ORBO Portal Vulnerability Exposing Sensitive Organ Donor Data Discovered by Researcher
  • Two Data Breaches in Three Years: McKenzie Health
  • Scattered Spider is running a VMware ESXi hacking spree
  • BreachForums — the one that went offline in April — reappears with a new founder/owner
  • Fans React After NASCAR Confirms Ransomware Breach
  • Allianz Life says ‘majority’ of customers’ personal data stolen in cyberattack (1)
  • Infinite Services notifying employees and patients of limited ransomware attack
  • The safe place for women to talk wasn’t so safe: hackers leak 13,000 user photos and IDs from the Tea app

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • Congress tries to outlaw AI that jacks up prices based on what it knows about you
  • Microsoft’s controversial Recall feature is now blocked by Brave and AdGuard
  • Trump Administration Issues AI Action Plan and Series of AI Executive Orders
  • Indonesia asked to reassess data privacy terms in new U.S. trade deal
  • Meta Denies Tracking Menstrual Data in Flo Health Privacy Trial
  • Wikipedia seeks to shield contributors from UK law targeting online anonymity
  • British government reportedlu set to back down on secret iCloud backdoor after US pressure

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.