Andrew Noyes reports on Nextgov: Privacy and civil liberties advocates are urging lawmakers working on the forthcoming economic stimulus package to ensure that any language to spur adoption of electronic medical records includes meaningful security safeguards. The American Civil Liberties Union, Consumer Action, the National Association of Social Workers, Patient Privacy Rights and others sent…
Author: Dissent
TX: Dumpster diver finds old medical records
Jessica Willey reports: It is information no one would want scattered on papers in a parking lot, much less thrown away in a dumpster for anyone to find. Medical records were found behind a 99 Cents store in southwest Houston putting people’s identities at risk. “This has got Social Security numbers, Medicare numbers. That’s pretty…
Jobs’ medical leave: right to privacy vs right to know
Sam Diaz writes on ZDnet: Steve Jobs dropped a bombshell of an announcement yesterday when he revealed that his medical condition was more complex than he’d previously known and that he was leaving his post as Apple CEO through the end of June so he could focus on his health. The announcement, in the form…
NE: E-mail spurs NECC to file libel suit
A Nebraska college is suing the unknown person or people who sent an e-mail to state officials and the news media that college officials say was intended to embarrass the school. The lawsuit filed Monday in Madison County District Court says the e-mail signed by “necc–student” complained that a Northeast Community College student was caught…
OH: ID-theft protection extended to more school employees
Jennifer Smith Richards reports: Roughly 800 Columbus schools employees are being offered free credit monitoring services, just in case their information was compromised, the district said today. A computer printout with at least 50 employees’ personal information, including Social Security numbers, was found during a police raid on an East Side home Saturday. Until this…
NC: Lost BRCA hard drive contains 300 social security numbers
Julie N. Chang reports: Approximately 300 people’s Social Security numbers are on an external computer hard drive missing from Blue Ridge Community Action, 800 N. Green St. BRCA Executive Director Mattie Patterson said the hard drive contains information on clients from four counties who have used the organization’s services in the past four or five…