The Social Security Administration has entered into an agreement to test the use of the Microsoft HealthVault software for SSA’s disability determination process. SSA has been trying out several ways to collect electronically the health records of people applying for disability income. SSA currently requests about 15 million to 20 million medical records a year…
Author: Dissent
EDITORIAL: Invasion of medical privacy
Privacy rights are under threat in the House’s government health care plan. While plowing through the more than 1,000-page Democratic House bill, Declan McCullagh of CBS News uncovered provisions that would allow startling privacy intrusions. The innermost secrets of people’s personal lives would be made available to thousands of government bureaucrats. Section 431(a) requires the…
Vendor data on encrypted tapes falls off truck – UPDATED
A box with encrypted tapes containing personal data fell off a truck… Cuyahoga County officials are searching for a box that fell off a truck and contained personal information for 300 people. The box was being moved Monday to a storage facility and held information, including Social Security numbers, for private vendors who provide services…
Laptops containing medical details of Birmingham patients stolen
In the U.K.: Laptops containing the private and medical details of more than 7,000 Birmingham NHS patients, including sick children, have been stolen prompting a massive security alert. Surgical firm Trulife used by four hospitals – Birmingham Children’s Hospital, City Hospital, in Winson Green, Sandwell Hospital, in West Bromwich, and Rowley Regis Hospital – has…
NJ waiter accused of stealing credit card numbers
A waiter using an electronic “skimmer” stole credit card information from at least 100 patrons at restaurants in Jersey City and Newark and then gave the information to an identity theft ring that racked up tens of thousands of dollars worth of fraudulent purchases, officials said. A month-long probe involving Hudson County and federal authorities…
Old personnel files with medical records found in dumpster
According to 13WHAM, records found at a Greece, New York apartment dumpster appear to be personnel files from the Fasco Machine Company once located on Union Street There are payroll and banking records for each employee, including hundreds of social security numbers. Fasco closed in 1975, so the documents were kept in storage somewhere….. Surprisingly,…