Molina Healthcare, top Obamacare insurer, investigates data breach

“Molina Healthcare, a major insurer in Medicaid and state exchanges across the country, has shut down its online patient portal as it investigates a potential data breach that may have exposed sensitive medical information. The company said Friday that it closed the online portal for medical claims and other customer information while it examined a […]

Stolen Laptop Leads to $2.5 Million HIPAA Breach Penalty

“The theft of a laptop computer containing information of nearly 1,400 patients was among two HIPAA breaches that led a Pennsylvania provider of remote heart monitoring to pay $2.5 million, federal authorities said this week. Malvern-based CardioNet, Inc., essentially had no process at all for securely managing electronic protected health information (ePHI) of the patients […]

Phishing Attack Results in $400,000 HIPAA Breach Fine

“Investigators from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) found that MCPN violated the HIPAA Security Rule by failing to do proper risk assessments or implement adequate cybersecurity measures and procedures. “Specifically, MCPN has failed to conduct an accurate and thorough assessment of the potential risks and vulnerabilities to […]

Memorial Hospital pays $5.5M in settlement over potential HIPAA violations

“Memorial Healthcare Systems has agreed to pay a $5.5 million settlement to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over potential HIPAA violations. The security breach was discovered when Memorial launched an internal investigation in 2012 after two hospital employees stole patients’ personal information to make money filing phony tax returns, said Kerting Baldwin, […]

31 Health Data Breaches Disclosed in January as HHS Fines for Late Reporting

“2017 has kicked off with a huge proportion of insider threats, as January data from disclosed breaches reveals that 59.2% of breached patient records were the result of insiders.  This month’s health data breaches reinforce the importance of health data security, as the need to protect patient data from insiders continues to loom large.  Healthcare […]

Stolen USB Drive Leads to $2.2 Million HIPAA Breach Penalty

“An insurance underwriter paid a $2.2 million HIPAA breach settlement after a USB drive containing the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of more than 2,200 people was stolen from its IT department, federal authorities announced today. As part of the Jan. 11 agreement, MAPFRE Life Insurance Company of Puerto Rico (MAPFRE) also entered into a […]

Foot-Dragging on HIPAA Breach Notice Costs Illinois Health System

“An Illinois health system has reached a $475,000 settlement over allegations it waited too long to report a data breach, the first time the government has settled over untimely breach notifications. Presence Health uncovered a data breach on Oct. 22, 2013 affecting 836 individuals, but didn’t report the breach to affected individuals until Feb. 3, […]

2016 averaged 1 healthcare data breach per day

“There was an average of one health data breach per day in 2016, according to the Protenus Breach Barometer, which utilizes information from DataBreaches.net. Protenus recently collaborated with DataBreaches.net to publish the “Breach Barometer Report: Year in Review.” Here are eight additional findings from the analysis.” Read more details here. Author: Erin Dietsche

Presence Health agrees to $475,000 settlement over data breach report

Presence Health agreed to pay $475,000 to settle allegations it failed to promptly report a 2013 breach of patient health information. Paper operating room schedules containing information on 836 people went missing from the Surgery Center at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet on Oct. 22, 2013, according to information from the U.S. Department […]