GAO released yet another report on Healthcare.gov on this week (the first one was noted here). From the highlights: Enrollment through Healthcare.gov is supported by the exchange of information among many systems and entities. The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has overall responsibility for key information…
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North Miami Beach Resident Sentenced In Identity Theft Tax Fraud Scheme
Dines Blanc, 24, of North Miami Beach, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore to 42 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Blanc had previously pled guilty to one count of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3),…
Burglars steal ENT patients' information
Irving Coppell Ear, Nose And Throat, dba ENT Partners of Texas has notified 789 patients of a HIPAA breach involving theft of their information. In a press release posted on their web site, they write that on July 11, burlars broke through a locked metal exterior door and a locked interior office to where two…
Medical Records For Sale in Underground Stolen From Texas Life Insurance Firm
Brian Krebs reports: How much are your medical records worth in the cybercrime underground? This week, KrebsOnSecurity discovered medical records being sold in bulk for as little as $6.40 apiece. The digital documents, several of which were obtained by sources working with this publication, were apparently stolen from a Texas-based life insurance company that now says…
HIPAA and Same-sex Marriage: Understanding Spouse, Family Member, and Marriage in the Privacy Rule
On September 17, HHS issued a new guidance: The HIPAA Privacy Rule contains several provisions that recognize the integral role that family members, such as spouses, often play in a patient’s health care. For example, the Privacy Rule allows covered entities to share information about the patient’s care with family members in various circumstances. In…
Affluenza psychologist must turn over records for Couch civil case
Lari Barager provides a useful reminder as to how mental health records can lose their confidentiality protection: The psychologist who presented the controversial “affluenza” defense for teenager Ethan Couch has been ordered to turn over his records for a civil trial. Dr. Dick Miller treated Couch and his parents after the 16-year-old killed four people…