Cyberattacks on personal health records growing 'exponentially'
By Joe Davidson The Washington Post
Published Sept. 29, 2016
Read more at http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0916/davidson092916.php3#ZvDo7djK5ltEDqbD.99
WASHINGTON - This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, better known as HIPAA. Since it took effect, doctors' offices, hospitals and other health-care providers have been very careful about releasing information.
Sometimes frustratingly so.
I've had providers refuse to send my information to me by email, because that form of communication is considered less secure than the now-ancient practice of faxing.
A new Government Accountability Office report shows that concern is warranted, now more than ever....
Read more at http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0916/davidson092916.php3#ZvDo7djK5ltEDqbD.99
I run a consulting company which focuses on HIPAA security. email is not secure, its very very very not secure. Faxing however is difficult to intercept unless you receive your faxes via email.
With your permission it is permissible and legal for a health care provider to send your medical records via email but most wont do it. They won't do it because the government has been very aggressive on their enforcement and penalties. CMS, OCR, and OIG (under HHS) regularly audit health care providers. If there is a breach (they lost your records) it could cost the provider millions of dollars.
Your health record is very valuable. Primarily because they can be used for fraud. With the information in your records they can file false medical claims against medicare and Medicaid. Its quite lucrative. examples of what they do is claim a doctor saw 400-500 patients in a day. Claim you had multiple procedures by doctors in different states on the same day. Our lovely government only stops a fraction of the fraud.
