Last week, we noted that Holy Cross Hospital in Florida was notifying 9,900 patients that an employee had stolen their information – possibly for a tax refund fraud scheme. A letter to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office provides some additional details on the breach that makes the tax refund fraud scheme more probable, and not just…
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Oklahoma Doctor Gets Busted for Using Skype for Telemedicine
Telemedicine has always held great promise. In my field, it could allow experts in movement disorders to actually observe a patient in a remote area where no experts were available to see what the abnormal movements look like and to interview the patient. And I’ve often had patients request therapy sessions by Skype or FaceTime…
NY: Guards allege privacy breach related to Samaritan Hospital records
Brendan J. Lyons reports an update to a breach allegation noted previously on this blog involving Samaritan Hospital and Rensselaer County jail personnel: Two correction officers have filed a federal lawsuit accusing Rensselaer County jail officials, including Sheriff Jack Mahar, of illegally accessing their medical records after they missed work due to injuries or illness. A third plaintiff…
Some breaches are not as bad as HHS's breach tool might suggest
In my recent recap of new additions to HHS’s public breach tool, I noted an incident involving Summit Community Care Clinic. My summary of the breach log was: Summit Community Care Clinic in Colorado reported that 921 patients were affected by a Hacking/IT incident that occurred July 22. There is no statement or notice on their web…
Commentary: Are analyses of breaches in the healthcare sector underestimating the insider threat?
Another healthcare provider has pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud. The North Carolina Department of Justice reports that Dr. Francis Bald, a North Carolina dentist, has pleaded guilty to charges related to falsely billing Medicaid for dental and oral surgery services. The fraud was uncovered by an observant patient who read his Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statement…
MNsure data security breach prompts new bill
Catherine Richert of Minnesota Public Radio reports: A data security breach at the state’s new online insurance marketplace has prompted two members of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation to write a bill designed to prevent confidential information from being leaked again. Starting Oct. 1, uninsured Minnesotans will be using MNsure to purchase health insurance, and they’ll have…