The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has included three healthcare data breaches in its list of the six most significant data breaches in 2011.
The following three healthcare-related breaches made the list:
1. Sutter Physicians Services and Sutter Medical Foundation. In November, Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health reported that a computer with 4.2 million individuals' information was stolen from an office of its affiliate Sutter Medical Foundation. The data was password-protected but not encrypted. The computer contained names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, medical record numbers and health insurance plan names for one group of patients. Data for a second group of patients included demographic information, dates of services and descriptions of medical diagnoses and/or procedures. Sutter Health is facing two lawsuits of more than $4 billion each. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse ranked this third on its list.
2. Health Net. In March, Health Net reported that nine data servers containing information on 1.9 million current and former policyholders went missing. Information included names, addresses, health information, Social Security numbers and financial information. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse ranked this fifth on its list.
3. TRICARE Management Activity, Science Applications International Corporation. In September, TRICARE reported that backup tapes containing information on approximately 4.9 million patients were stolen. Information included Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, clinical notes, laboratory tests, prescriptions and other medical information. The Department of Defense now faces a $4.9 billion lawsuit over the breach. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse ranked this sixth on its list.
Lawsuit Seeks More Than $200k for 2010 Data Breach at Northwestern Clinic in Chicago
CDs Stolen From Washington Physician's Office Contained Patient Data
The following three healthcare-related breaches made the list:
1. Sutter Physicians Services and Sutter Medical Foundation. In November, Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health reported that a computer with 4.2 million individuals' information was stolen from an office of its affiliate Sutter Medical Foundation. The data was password-protected but not encrypted. The computer contained names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, medical record numbers and health insurance plan names for one group of patients. Data for a second group of patients included demographic information, dates of services and descriptions of medical diagnoses and/or procedures. Sutter Health is facing two lawsuits of more than $4 billion each. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse ranked this third on its list.
2. Health Net. In March, Health Net reported that nine data servers containing information on 1.9 million current and former policyholders went missing. Information included names, addresses, health information, Social Security numbers and financial information. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse ranked this fifth on its list.
3. TRICARE Management Activity, Science Applications International Corporation. In September, TRICARE reported that backup tapes containing information on approximately 4.9 million patients were stolen. Information included Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, clinical notes, laboratory tests, prescriptions and other medical information. The Department of Defense now faces a $4.9 billion lawsuit over the breach. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse ranked this sixth on its list.
Related Articles on Data Breaches:
New York Times Highlights Surge in Data Breaches as Healthcare Goes DigitalLawsuit Seeks More Than $200k for 2010 Data Breach at Northwestern Clinic in Chicago
CDs Stolen From Washington Physician's Office Contained Patient Data