Brokerage company Ameritrade is warning 200,000 former and current customers about the loss of a backup tape containing sensitive personal information. Jim Wagner of Internet News reports: The company discovered the loss in February when it received a damaged package containing a number of backup tapes shipped from its secure facilities in the U.S. Katrina…
Category Archives: HIPAA Privacy
HIPAA Deadline Passes with Little Fanfare
Well, the deadline to complete the security requirements of HIPAA passed yesterday with little fanfare. Internet News has the scoop: “Considering everything that is involved with compliance, there are a lot of factors as to why some companies may not have completed it,” Earl Crane, a senior consultant with Foundstone Professional Services, said. Foundstone, a…
DHHS Publishes Proposed HIPAA Enforcement Rule
On April 18, 2005, the Federal Register published the proposed rule regarding enforcement of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Rule. Comments on the proposed rule will be considered by the Department of Health and Human Services if received no later than June 17, 2005. To read the proposed rule, click here. (via privacy spot)
HIV Victim’s Suit Against Newspaper Continues
The Houston Chronicle is reporting: DALLAS — A state district court judge rejected a bid by an alternative weekly newspaper to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a church volunteer who said the paper reported without his permission that he was HIV-positive. The ruling Wednesday could clear the way for a trial. The judge did not…
More HIPAA Violations & Private Data Theft News
Techweb reports: Enforcement of the security regulations–like earlier HIPAA rules for privacy–will be complaint-driven, he says. Since the HIPAA privacy regulations, which identify what personal health information needs to be protected, took effect two years ago this month, there have been nearly 11,000 complaints filed to the federal government by patients and others. As of…
Doctors and Email
From the Chicago Tribune: “Despite advancing technology, medical practices have proven remarkably resistant to embracing e-mail as a tool to correspond with patients.” Jeff of the other HIPAA Blog says: It makes some sense, since doctors may be slightly more resistant than other professionals to any change from the way they’ve done things in the…
Computer Theft Followup (HIPAA Violation in Question)
Jeff over at the other HIPAA Blog points out a medblogger who also
Good-old Fashioned Theft (reveals patient’s health data)
Your data may be protected from internal tampering and data-snooping of employees… but what if your physical hardware is stolen? The other ‘HIPAA Blog’ reports: Sometimes identity theft and potential HIPAA-violating disclosures of PHI are sidelights of simple crime. You can read the MSNBC article here. Jeff continues: Here, theives broke into a medical office…
Medical Privacy Rule Confusing for Patients
Great article in the Lansing State Journal about the confusion among patients over medical privacy. Nicole Jacques reports: At Lansing dermatologist Gregory Messenger’s office, patients sign in by handing in a discreet slip of paper. Office workers shred any document with patients’ full names and Social Security numbers. And a few times every week, staff…
Better shred than read: Keeping identity thieves at bay
An Iowa paper notes an interesting fact about identity theft: The National Child Safety Council reports that about half of all identity thefts are committed by a member of the victim’s family. Pam Martz reports for the Muscatine Journal: Muscatine Police Chief Gary Coderoni agrees. (with the National Child Safety Council) “They’re the ones with…
Group Polishes Guidelines on HIPAA Security Rules – Computerworld
A HIPAA working group seeks to ease the implementation of the massive data controls that are required by standard HIPAA Security provisions. Computerworld magazine: A working group made up of members from three organizations plans this month to release guidelines for complying with the data security requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act…
HIPAA Survey Finds Most Firms Are Prepared, Though Issues Loom
A new survey has found that most organizations are ready for the April 20 deadline for meeting HIPAA compliance regulations. Healthcare and related organizations have just over two weeks to meet new rules for protecting patient data or face possible fines, criminal penalties and negative publicity. While many IT professionals involved with Health Insurance Portability…
The HIPAA Security Rule – Sorry, You’re Not Done Yet
Paul Litwak of the National Council for Community Behaviorl Healthcare says: By now, any sensible person has had enough of HIPAA. 1 Even those who have been helped most by the HIPAA rules — lawyers and consultants — are getting sick of it. But, for better or for worse, it isn’t over yet. There is…
John Udell’s hospital experience and observations about HIPAA violations
John Udell at Infoworld gives his take on the current state of data entry at hospitals, and the HIPAA violations that he observed and offers possible solutions to the repetitous answering of the same questions over and over. Tales from the data entry trenches When it comes to compiling and managing complex data, many applications…
Patient Sues Healthcare System Over Ad Containing PHI
Interesting case where a doctor holding a file in an advertisement was actually holding a real live patient’s file. Stupidity like this can only be rewarded by fat lawsuit the patient has filed against the hospital system. HIPAAnews – The Latest News about HIPAA A Cumberland County, PA, woman is suing a major midstate hospital…