Cindy Scharr reports:
A Chester County couple has been charged in a $257,710 tax fraud scam that involved the stolen identities of patients at Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Chester Community Hospital.
Rafael Henriquez Polanco, 30, and his wife, Yanira Lopez, 27, residents of Chester Springs, allegedly filed fraudulent tax returns seeking more than $1.7 million in refunds, according to U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger.
[…]
According to the charging documents, Polanco and Lopez obtained the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of 144 patients of Community Hospital in Chester and Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland by paying employees of the hospitals to steal confidential medical forms.
Read more on DelcoTimes.com
Tony Hanson of CBS also reports on the case, noting that the two non-professional employees of the hospitals have been terminated and procedures for handling and disposal of documents containing patient information have been modified. The two hospital employees have reportedly not been charged in the case. But will they be charged? And if not, why not?
Small update: Crozer reportedly became aware of the data theft in October 2011. I’ve emailed them to inquire, among other questions, when patients were notified (if they have been), and when this was reported to HHS.