Recently, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse compiled a list of the worst health care data breaches of 2009 and the scary stories behind them.
Remarkably, none of these events could have happened had patient information been properly encrypted and stored in the Cloud as is done by Practice Fusion.
The full list can be found here. Some of the more interesting cases are summarized below:
Robbed: Peninsula Orthopedic Associates
When: March 25, 2009
Patient Records at Risk: 100,000
What Happened: 3 back-up tapes were stolen from a Salisbury, Md., medical practice while being shipped to an off-site storage facility. The pilfered data included Social Security numbers, employer names and health insurance numbers. Victims were exposed to possible medical identity theft. The provider notified patients about the breach in a letter 2 weeks after the fact.
Robbed: Moses Cone Memorial Hospital
When: March 9, 2009
Patient Records at Risk: 14,380
What Happened: A laptop was stolen from a vendor that provided services to the Greensboro, N.C. hospital. The computer housed patient data including Social Security numbers for patients treated by cardiologists and orthopedists. A month after the incident, the hospital announced the theft and offered affected individuals a one-year identity theft insurance policy.
Robbed: Johns Hopkins Hospital
When: April 3, 2009
Patient Records at Risk: 10,200
What Happened: An employee involved with patient registration pilfered patient names, addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers, Social Security numbers, parents’ names and medical insurance information as part of a scheme to create bogus Virginia drivers’ licenses. The prestigious hospital warned affected individuals, but law enforcement officials identified more than 30 victims.
Lax security: Walgreens
When: March 18, 2009
Patient Records at Risk: 28,000
What Happened: Walgreens failed to encrypt an e-mail attachment containing the names, birthdates, Social Security numbers and insurance claim numbers of Kentucky retirees that used the state’s pharmacy benefits plan. Walgreens spokespeople claimed there was minimal risk for identity theft.
