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Medical data breach

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A medical data breach is a data breach of health information, and could include either the personal health information of any individual's electronic health record or medical billing information from their health insurance.

Contents

Black market for health data

In February 2015 an NPR report claimed that organized crime networks had ways of selling health data in the black market.

In 2015 a Beazley Group staffperson estimated that medical records could sell on the black market for US$40-50.

Crime is the primary cause of medical data breaches.

How data is lost

Theft, data loss, hacking, and unauthorized account access are ways in which medical data breaches happen.

List of data breaches

  • In 2015, Anthem Inc. lost data for 37 million people in the Anthem medical data breach
  • In 2014 4.5 million people using Complete Health Systems had their data stolen
  • In 2013-14 1 million people using Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services had their data stolen
  • In 2013 4 million people using Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation had their data stolen
  • In 2011 4.9 million users of Tricare services had their data stolen due to an employee error by Science Applications International Corporation
  • In 2011 1.9 million people using Health Net had their data stolen
  • In 2011 1 million people using Nemours Foundation had their data stolen
  • In 2010 6800 people using New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center had their data breached. In response, those organizations agreed to pay the United States Department of Health and Human Services a US$4.8 million dollar fine.
  • In 2009 1 million people using BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee had their data stolen

    • Regulation

    In the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act require companies to report data breaches to affected individuals and the federal government.

    References

    Medical data breach Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA