DataBreaches.Net

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

Aetna to offer wealth of health data online

Posted on March 12, 2008October 24, 2024 by Dissent

Victoria Colliver writes in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Aetna Inc. is offering its members a new online search tool that connects to easy-to-understand articles, local doctors who specialize in their needs, as well as cost information based on their personal health record and benefits.

The service is a result of a partnership with Healthline Networks, a San Francisco health-technology company that develops software to navigate health searches.

[…]

Unlike most other personal health records, Aetna’s service will not require patients to fill in all their health details because much of that information can be culled from the insurer’s claims history. The search engine – called Aetna SmartSource – mines data on Aetna’s site to present members with relevant results based on the terms they searched, personal profile, benefit plan and other information.

“The carrier already has your health data, so there’s not an issue of some third party mining for information they might use against you,” said Greg Sterling, analyst with Sterling Market Intelligence in San Francisco.

While privacy is always a concern when putting sensitive health information online, Aetna, as a health insurer, is required to comply with federal health privacy laws that do not apply to companies such as Microsoft and Google, Sterling said.

Aetna officials said they would not sell or share data, target ads at consumers based on their search history or use any information from medical searches against a member.

“We have claims information on people from day one. That information is between Aetna and the insured and is not used at all,” said John Bahl, head of online product design for Aetna. “We’ve got this information, and we think we could do a better job in presenting our resources to our members when they need them.”

Under Healthline and Aetna’s agreement, the insurer licenses Healthline’s software, which translates medical language into more easily understood terms and delivers a customized search. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The new service is already being tested by the insurer’s 30,000 employees and will be expanded to as many as 2 million customers by the end of this year as part of a pilot program. Ultimately, the company said, it will be available to its 16.8 million members nationwide.

Full story – San Francisco Chronicle

Update 1: Some additional resources on Aetna’s program:

  • Aetna’s announcement of SmartSourceSM
  • Aetna’s Demo of SmartSourceSM
  • The Wall Street Journal: Aetna Smartens Up Medical Search
  • The New York Times: Aetna to Offer an Online Service That Helps Patients Link Records and Research
Category: Health Data

Post navigation

← New Hampshire health providers oppose records bill
Hacking Medical Devices (update 1) →

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

  • McLaren provides written notice to 743,131 patients after ransomware attack in July 2024
  • A state forensics lab was leaking its files. Getting it locked down involved a number of people.
  • CoinMarketCap Hacked, Scrambles to Remove Malicious Wallet Verification Popup
  • Montana Attorney General launches investigation into Lee Enterprises data breach
  • AT&T gets preliminary approval for $177 million data breach settlement
  • Aflac notifies SEC of breach suspected to be work of Scattered Spider
  • Former JBLM soldier pleads guilty to attempting to share military secrets with China
  • No, the 16 billion credentials leak is not a new data breach — a wake-up call about fake news (Updated)
  • Tonga’s health system hit by cyberattack (1)
  • Russia Expert Falls Prey to Elite Hackers Disguised as US Officials

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

  • The Markup caught 4 more states sharing personal health data with Big Tech
  • Privacy in the Big Sky State: Montana’s Consumer Privacy Law Gets Amended
  • UK Passes Data Use and Access Regulation Bill
  • Officials defend Liberal bill that would force hospitals, banks, hotels to hand over data
  • US Judge Invalidates Biden Rule Protecting Privacy for Abortions
  • DOJ’s Data Security Program: Key Compliance Considerations for Impacted Entities
  • 23andMe fined £2.31 million for failing to protect UK users’ genetic data

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.