This week, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began posting summaries of breach reports it has received as newly mandated by the HITECH Act. In commenting on the breaches, this site observed that some breaches simply stated “Private Practice” instead of the name of the…
Category: Health Data
Tennessee: No evidence stolen personal information being used, BlueCross says
Andy Sher reports: No identity theft or credit card fraud has been found stemming from the October theft of 57 computer hard drives containing BlueCross customers’ personal information, a company official told state lawmakers today. “No sir,” Clay Phillips, BlueCross’ director and associate general counsel for state affairs, told Sen. Ken Yager, R-Harriman. “We monitor…
Ninth Circuit addresses "actual damages" under the Privacy Act
I posted this yesterday to PogoWasRight.org but then it dawned on me today that since this involved medical information, I should have posted it here, too: A new ruling from the Ninth Circuit in Cooper v. FAA addresses the meaning of “actual damages” in the Privacy Act. The case arose when federal agencies shared information…
HHS starts to reveal healthcare breaches reported to government
When HITECH was passed as part of the stimulus bill, it introduced new data breach notification requirements, including a requirement that breaches of unsecured personal health information held by covered entities or their business associates affecting more than 500 individuals be reported to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The requirement was somewhat…
Ca: Alarming breach in privacy investigated at London school
An armload of personal documents — health records and criminal record checks among them — was found carelessly tossed out by a private vocational school in London, an alarming breach of security, the school’s director says. The bulk of the documents included criminal record checks, transcripts, diplomas, doctors’ notes, immunization and vaccination forms, health card…
Charlie Sheen's Wife In New Rehab, Plans Suit
Brooke Mueller, Charlie Sheen’s wife, is in a new rehab facility and she plans to sue the one she just left for allegedly violating her privacy … TMZ has learned. Brooke’s lawyer, Yale Galanter, tells TMZ, “Brooke was forced to leave The Canyon rehab facility because of the security breach.” As TMZ first reported, someone…