And speaking of outrageous breaches, Elise Viebeck reports: A top House committee launched another probe of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tuesday after a lawsuit alleged that the agency improperly seized millions of personal medical records in California. In a letter, Republican leaders on the Energy and Commerce panel asked the IRS to explain how it…
Prime Healthcare and Shasta Regional Center settle HHS complaint, to pay $275,000
I don’t know if you can hear me, but I generally groan when I read a settlement that permits the party to make no admission of guilt. The FTC permits it, and HHS also permits it. I understand why they may choose to do that, but seriously, there are some breaches that are just so…
EPIC Urges Federal Health Agency to Safeguard Mental Health Records
From EPIC.org: In comments to the Department of Health and Human Services, EPIC underscored the importance of medical privacy, particularly concerning mental illness. In response to President Obama’s plan to reduce gun violence, the federal agency is considering allowing states to report certain mental illness information to the FBI for inclusion in National Instant Criminal Background Check System. EPIC warned that…
More than 1,000 psychiatric patients' IDs stolen by hospital worker, feds allege
Paula McMahon reports on yet another case of insider data theft involving patients in Florida: Curtis Fullwood’s job was to help patients with mental health problems find work they could do in the South Florida State Hospital in Pembroke Pines, but instead, authorities say, he stole their identities. Fullwood, 57, and his cousin, Terri Davis, 45, have pleaded…
FL: Pill mill database leaked patient info – ACLU
Associated Press reports: A statewide database aimed at cracking down on the state’s pill mills leaked thousands of patients’ personal information, even though some of the details were not part of any criminal investigation, the American Civil Liberties Union said Tuesday. Personal details, including dosage amounts, birthdates, addresses and other information was given to Volusia…
The Verizon order, the NSA, and what call records might reveal about psychiatric patients
Over on PogoWasRight.org, I’ve covered some of last week’s revelations about domestic surveillance activities by the NSA. The first revelation, that of a secret FISC order compelling Verizon to turn over its business call records on a daily basis to the NSA, alarmed me. Although government officials – including President Obama – were quick to…