Todd Bookman reports: The state’s Department of Health and Human Services says personal information for as many as 15,000 clients has been breached. Names, addresses, social security numbers and Medicaid ID numbers were stolen, with some information posted on social media sites. The agency says a patient at the state-run psychiatric hospital in Concord accessed…
Category: Health Data
Black market medical record prices drop to under $10, criminals switch to ransomware
Maria Korolov reports: The black market value of stolen medical records dropped dramatically this year, and criminals shifted their efforts from stealing data to spreading ransom ware, according to a report released this morning. Hackers are now offering stolen records at between $1.50 and $10 each, said Anthony James, CMO at San Mateo, Calif.-based security…
Fairbanks Hospital notifies patients after discovering employees could have been inappropriately accessing patient records for years (UPDATED)
Fairbanks Hospital in Indianapolis is notifying an undisclosed number of patients that employees could have been accessing protected health information of patients since at least November 2013 (and possibly earlier). The information that was accessed included current and former patients’ social security numbers, contact information, diagnosis, treatment and health insurance. In a notification dated December 16, the hospital…
OH: Henry County home health and hospice patients’ records stolen
More than 500 patients served by Henry County Health Department Home Health and Hospice are being notified after a nurse’s laptop and paperwork was stolen from her garaged car on October 22. An arrest has reportedly been made in the case, but the laptop and papers were not recovered. According to the Toledo Blade and WNWO, the laptop…
Regina-area physician guilty of unprofessional conduct for record snooping
The Canadian Press reports: A Regina-area physician has been reprimanded for accessing the personal health information of 19 people without their consent. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan has found Dr. Serhii Haidash guilty of unprofessional conduct. Along with the reprimand, the college says he must pay $2,400 and take confidentiality retraining. Read…
Data breach affects almost 400,000 Community Health Plan members (UPDATE2)
Bob Young reports: Almost 400,000 current and former members of the Community Health Plan of Washington have had personal information, including Social Security numbers, exposed in a data breach. The nonprofit, which provides health insurance through Medicaid in Washington, is sending letters to 381,534 individuals Wednesday notifying them of the invasion and steps they can…