This appears to be a case where medical identity theft has harmed someone: It seems that identity theft and fraud have hit Medicare, according to an 86-year-old woman named Jessie Coles. She first discovered something was wrong after being denied by Medicare for a new power wheelchair. According to Medicare records she had already ordered…
Category: Health Data
MO: Patients Say Doctor Outed Their Surgeries (updated)
Joe Harris reports: Five women who had cosmetic surgery say they were humiliated to find that an Internet search of their names leads to before-and-after photographs of their naked breasts, posted by their surgeon to promote her business. Michele Koo, MD, took the pictures from her patients’ confidential medical files, according to five separate complaints…
NC: Greenville Medical Tech Arrested For Identity Theft
Kristen Hunter reports: A medical technician is behind bars, charged with using medical records in a series of financial frauds. 27-year-old, Kelly Marie O’Neal has been arrested on 16 counts of identity theft and 16 counts of obtaining property by false pretense. She’s in the Pitt County Jail tonight on a $20,000 secured bond. Detectives…
Ca: Confidential medical records found on Calgary street
Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner is investigating after iNews880 partner station, CHQR (QR77) in Calgary, was handed detailed medical records which a source says were found on a street. Information contained in the files includes names, birth dates, and surgical procedures. […] The investigation is expected to take several weeks. Alberta Health Services (AHS) is…
IL: VA notifies vets about missing info
The Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System recently notified 518 veterans that sensitive personal information was not properly safeguarded. Veterans were informed that an appointment book listing their last names and last four digits of their Social Security numbers was discovered missing on July 14 and has not been found. “Our top priority is to…
Health industry lacks patient data safeguards: poll
Alina Selyukh reports: New technologies are flooding into the healthcare world, but the industry is not adequately prepared to protect patients from data breaches, according to a report published on Thursday. A vast majority of hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and insurers are eager to adapt to increasingly digital patient data. However, less than half are addressing…