The Ledger May 6, 2011- Records containing up to 60 social security numbers were found in a recycling bin in Winter Haven , Florida. The material came from the office of Jeffrey Barnes, a Winter Haven periodontist. While the office does outsource their shredding, an employee inadvertently set magazines on top of the shredding box, […]
Read MoreThe US Department of Health and Human Services has announced special training for States’ AGs to encourage use of their new enforcement powers. To help State Attorneys General begin to implement their enforcement authority under the HITECH Act, OCR will hold a 2-day, instructor-led HIPAA Enforcement Training course in 4 locations across the country. These […]
Read MoreHealth and Human Service Feb. 22, 2011 The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued a Notice of Final Determination finding that a covered entity, Cignet Health of Prince George’s County, MD (Cignet), violated the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HHS has imposed a civil money […]
Read MorePatriotLedger.com Aug. 13, 2010 Thousands of records from four area hospitals were found at local dump, exposing sensitive patient data. Under Massachusetts law medical records must be disposed in a way that protects patient privacy, which courts have interpreted as shredding or burning. At press time there was no mention of an investigation or potential […]
Read MoreToronto Sun Oct. 28, 2010 A NAID-Canada investigation into the amount of confidential information available in commercial dumpsters led to an appearance on the country’s most-watched morning show, reports during the local 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. TV news broadcasts, and stories in every major Toronto newspaper. During the months of September and October, acting on commission […]
Read MoreHealth and Human Services Dec. 10, 2009 Health and Human Services has asked the General Services Administration (GSA) to contract with approved specialists to develop “training courses and related materials to educate staff from the offices of state attorneys general and others about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and […]
Read MoreThe Vermont Attorney General’s office announced that a Connecticut based insurer, Health Net and Health Net of the Northeast, would pay $55,000 to settle a data breach affecting 525 Vermont residents, although the breach affected 1.5 million total customers. “Consumers expect – and the law requires – that personal information be treated with the utmost […]
Read More9new.com – Denver, CO Dec. 29, 2010 The Apothecary of Colorado, a medical marijuana dispensary located in Denver, is under scrutiny after carelessly discarding patient records in a dumpster. Dispensaries in Colorado are regulated by the state Department of Revenue, and there are no requirements in place for the care and handling of patient records, […]
Read MoreWSB Atlanta Nov. 10, 2010 There has seen some fairly intense coverage of a story out of Georgia related to confidential medical files found in an Alpharetta Doctor’s dumpster. According to the reports that State Health Care Fraud Control department is investigating, although we could find no reference to the state’s Attorney General getting involved, […]
Read MoreSeveral folders containing sensitive health information were found at a public recycling bin in Omaha, Nebraska. The folders contained addresses, social security numbers, and doctor recommendations. When notified of what the bin contained, the owners of the recycling facility immediately removed it from a publicly accessible area. Source: Action 3 News – Omaha, Nebraska For […]
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