Contra Costa Health Services in California recently discovered a report of patients' debts to the county's health services department had been exposed online, according to a county news release.
The report was generated by the county's former Office of Revenue Collection and included the names of patients who had received services from Contra Costa Health Services and the amount of debt owed. The document was a "Health Services Write-Off Report" attached to a Board of Supervisors agenda dated July 27, 2010, and allowed the board to authorize the discharge of accountability for these accounts, which were deemed uncollectible.
The county has mailed letters to the patients affected, removed the identifying information on the website and notified the media of this Confidentiality of Medical Information violation.
Information on More Than 500 Alaskan Chiropractic Patients Were Available on Web
California's Sutter Health Faces Two Lawsuits Over Data Breach Affecting 4.2M Patients
The report was generated by the county's former Office of Revenue Collection and included the names of patients who had received services from Contra Costa Health Services and the amount of debt owed. The document was a "Health Services Write-Off Report" attached to a Board of Supervisors agenda dated July 27, 2010, and allowed the board to authorize the discharge of accountability for these accounts, which were deemed uncollectible.
The county has mailed letters to the patients affected, removed the identifying information on the website and notified the media of this Confidentiality of Medical Information violation.
Related Articles on Data Breaches:
Report: Healthcare Data Breaches Could Cost $6.5B AnnuallyInformation on More Than 500 Alaskan Chiropractic Patients Were Available on Web
California's Sutter Health Faces Two Lawsuits Over Data Breach Affecting 4.2M Patients