Ouch! Postcards sent out by the Universal American Action Network, a subsidiary of Universal American Insurance, had the recipients’ full Social Security Numbers in plain view. There were reportedly 80,000 postcards sent out last Friday to Universal clients around the country who are enrolled in their Medicare Advantage plan. WGAL reports: Universal American told News…
Category: Health Data
Health Net Loses Information for 450,000 Clients: AG
Health Net, whose motto is “A Better Decision,” may have made a very very bad decision in not informing consumers of a breach involving their protected health information and sensitive personal information. Leanne Gendreau reports: The personal information for almost half a million Connecticut residents could be at risk after a hard drive disappeared from…
NZ: Photos released after death may not be protected by privacy laws
Under U.S. privacy laws, HIPAA protections extend past death. The same does not appear to be true in New Zealand, however, as this report by NZCity suggests: The Privacy Commission is sympathising with the family of 103-year-old Myra Letts who claim her privacy was breached when a photo was taken of her in a rest…
UK: Clinic computer stolen by addict (updated)
Lisa Nightingale reports: A former heroin addict with a criminal record spanning 30 years has apologised for stealing a computer from a GPs’ surgery. David Graham walked out of Flagg Court Primary Care Centre, South Shields, with one of its computers, containing patients’ files, on November 9. The 44-year-old, a former patient at the surgery,…
Hazelden sued for breach of privacy
Rochelle Olson reports: In late June, a 47-year-old woman checked herself into the 28-day alcohol treatment program at Hazelden in Center City, hoping to shake her years-long dependence on alcohol and maybe save her troubled marriage. The woman, identified in a Hennepin County District Court complaint only as L.B., said she entered the program while…
HIMSS Survey: Business Associates not up to speed on HITECH
Today, HIMSS released a new report, 2009 HIMSS Analytics Report: Evaluating HITECH’s Impact on Healthcare Privacy and Security. Commissioned by ID Experts, HIMSS surveyed senior information technology (IT) executives, Chief Security Officers, Chief Medical Information Officers (CMIOs), Chief Information Security Officers and Chief Privacy Officers at hospitals throughout the United States.They also surveyed business associates…