Dec
15
From the title one could assume that I’m talking to the average person. After all, millions of people throw away old passports, ids, checkbooks, credit card applications and other information that could allow a thief to steal their identity. But believe it or not I’m talking about large companies and hospitals, people and places that should have more sense than to leave your private records in a box outside for anyone to walk off with.
Recent news reports that sensitive medical records were placed in plain sight within a recycling Dumpster in Utah County are disturbing, but not terribly unique.
According to a recent story on medical privacy in the Grand Rapids Press, several reports have been made nationwide of patient information being carelessly thrown in places where people easily could grab Social Security numbers and other sensitive data. The nation’s three largest drugstore chains, Walgreens, CVS Corp. and Rite Aid, are planning to revisit the way they handle such information, the paper said.
Dec
15
It seems that consumers grow more fearful everyday about the privacy of their medical records a new survey shows. Besides falling into the wrong hands they are afraid of fraud, theft and a host of other problems that keep them up at night.
The survey commissioned by EpicTide and conducted by The Benchmarking Company, an independent research firm, measured consumer awareness of medical identity theft and patient safety concerns. The survey report explores issues including:
-- Consumer awareness of medical identity theft and its consequences -- Rising rate of incidence of medical identity theft among the general population -- Consumers' understanding of their patient rights -- Consumer perceptions regarding the ability of healthcare organizations to protect patient records and ensure patient safety -- Consumer perceptions regarding the responsibility of healthcare organizations in protecting patient records and reporting security breaches.
Dec
13
More Access Is Necessary
Filed Under HIPAA (General) | Leave a Comment
A new survey shows that many Americans want more to access to their health care files because they feel that this would help cut down on the errors and improve overall health care quality by giving them an e-copy. However they are afraid that this could lead to fraud if this file gets into the wrong hands.
But eight in 10 Americans are very concerned about identity theft or fraud and the possibility of their data being used by marketers without their permission – with three-quarters of those surveyed saying the government has a role in establishing privacy and confidentiality protections for electronic health information.
Dec
9
Not By Deceptive Means
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The US Senate has passed a new law that would make it illegal to get your hands on phone number if you got them by being deceptive. That’s great. However I noticed that this only came up after the whole Hewlitt Packard problem that was going on. I somehow doubt it had much to do with the average consumer and their rights. This new law would ban people from buying and selling mass amounts of phone numbers without the consumers permission. Seems like another slam against those pesky telemarketers.
Currently there is no law against the practice. The issue came under public scrutiny when Hewlett-Packard Co.
admitted that its investigators obtained telephone records of board members, employees and journalists without their permission as the company tried to find out who was leaking sensitive information.
Dec
9
High Tech companies like Hewlett Packard is hoping to push some new laws that would help protect citizens personal data online while still allowing other information to flow smoothly.
“We think the time has come for a comprehensive privacy bill that would protect consumers’ personal information while still allowing the flow of information needed for commerce online,” Ira Rubinstein, a Microsoft lawyer, said this week.
Dec
5
HIPAA Bad For Patients?
Filed Under HIPAA (General) | 7 Comments
The HIPAA act should protect our medical privacy but do hospital officials go to far for fear of being sued? In this article are a few cases that make you question the HIPAA and the people who are supposed to follow the rules, in this case they seem to go overboard.
Although it started as a good idea, HIPAA has gotten out of control. A nursing student was reprimanded for violating the privacy act after she was seen reviewing her very own medical record. A health department representative refused to disclose to a newspaper the number of influenza cases in the county, incorrectly citing that it would be a HIPAA violation.