Health data breaches affect more than 10 percent of residents in half of states

In 2021, the share of residents whose protected health information was exposed in a data breach was 10 percent or more in 22 states, according to a March 23 Politico report.

Politico analyzed more than six years of data reported to HHS' data breach reporting portal through March 18. Here are four more findings from their analysis:

1. Healthcare organizations in every state except South Dakota reported data breaches in 2021.
   
   
2. Nearly 50 million Americans had their protected health information breached in 2021, a threefold increase in three years.
   
   
3. In five states and Washington, D.C., more than 40 percent of residents had their health data breached in 2021. The states are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Wisconsin.
   
   
4. Hacking accounted for 74 percent of all healthcare data breaches in 2021, up from 35 percent in 2016.