Mary Ann Roser reports: A data breach at Lone Star Circle of Care has compromised the personal information of 8,700 people, including 6,300 patients, officials said Friday. The breach was discovered Jan. 9 after a backup file containing mostly names, addresses, phone numbers, and in some cases, birth dates, was improperly placed on Lone Star’s…
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Missouri lawmaker wants disclosure of unvaccinated children
AP reports: A Missouri Republican wants to require preschools and daycare centers to tell parents if there are other children attending who have not been vaccinated against measles or other illnesses. The bill filed Tuesday by Rep. Diane Franklin of Camdenton would require public and private daycares, nursery schools and preschools to inform parents when…
Private Health Info Lost, Law Provides No Recourse
Jenna Susko, Julie Putnam and Jeremy Carroll report: When Don Thorvund unexpectedly got hurt on the job, he went through the proper channels to get treatment through a workers’ compensation claim. But when he opened the envelope for what he thought was his settlement documents, he found someone else’s worker’s compensation paperwork. The documents included…
Breach notification in three easy mailings? (NOT)
Dr. Cathrine Steinborn, DDS of Santa Clara, California has been notifying patients and regulatory agencies of a recent breach. It appears she has sent three notifications to her patients because her first attempts at notification did not seem to provide them with enough information or support. From the public notice (with links to the files added by this blogger): SANTA…
Minn. Organization Testifies on Patient Privacy Law
Elizabeth Snell reports: Minnesota’s current patient privacy law should not be repealed in favor of HIPAA, according to the Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF). The organization’s president and co-founder, Twila Brase, testified in front of the Minnesota House of Representatives Civil Law and Data Practices Committee this week on why the state’s patient privacy…
Former East Texas hospital employee sentenced for criminal violation of HIPAA
In March 2014, Joshua Hippler was indicted for criminal violations of HIPAA. He pleaded guilty on August 28, and on Tuesday, he was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. According to information presented in court, from December 2012 through January 2013, Hippler was an employee of a covered entity under HIPAA, the Health Insurance…