The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of HHS recently released an audit that found pervasive high-risk security vulnerabilities at 10 state Medicaid agencies. The report is written so as not to provide a road map for attackers who might want to exploit the vulnerabilities but to raise awareness of concerns, i.e., the states are…
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Over 168,000 Los Angeles County patients' data on computer stolen from billing vendor's office
The personal information of about 168,500 patients of the Los Angeles County departments of Health Services and Public Health was stolen during the theft of computer equipment from a firm that contracts with the county, authorities announced today. The theft took place Feb. 5 at the Torrance office of Sutherland Healthcare Solutions, Inc., which contracts…
Ca: Etobicoke General Hospital laptop theft exposes thousands of hospital records
CBC News reports: Medical records for thousands of patients at Etobicoke General Hospital could be in the wrong hands following the theft of a laptop. CBC News has learned the personal details of 5,500 patients — including names, dates of birth and diagnostic reports — were on a laptop that was stolen in mid-January from…
Ca: Health department won't remove doctor for privacy breach
CBC News reports that a doctor who allegedly improperly accessed patient files for over two years continues to be employed by the facility, who didn’t even notify patients when they first discovered the breach: Although New Brunswick’s Department of Health says it could step in to remove the doctor involved in a privacy incident at…
Eureka Internal Medicine notifies patients of potential disclosure of their information
Eureka Internal Medicine in Eureka, California notified patients of a HIPAA breach that was discovered in October 2013. According to a notification from their lawyers: From about September 25, 2013, until about October 9, 2013, when it was discovered, a janitorial service for Eureka Internal Medicine, was mixing paper recycling containing patient information with the regular trash at…
Ca: Privacy breach at London Shoppers Drug Mart stuns customer
CTV reports: It was supposed to be a normal trip to the drugstore, but one London woman got a shock when she got home and realized what was handed to her at the pharmacy. Helliena Julliana was simply inquiring about some medication at the Shoppers Drug Mart location at Adelaide and Huron streets. That’s when…