Backup tapes containing patient billing data stolen
Data thieves somehow love stealing patient data or better they somehow know that stealing patient data is a lot easier than any other data. Recent cases of hospital data missing are a clear indication of the above.
The following is yet another case of missing patient billing data. This time thieves have managed to steal three unencrypted computer backup tapes containing patient billing and employee payroll data from a Nemours facility in Wilmington, Delaware. The tapes were supposed to be ’safely’ locked and there was another cabinet containing a computer systems conversion that was completed in 2004. The thieves cleverly stole the tapes and locked cabinet on September 8, 2011 during a facility remodeling project.
As yet there is no indication that the tapes were misused. Fortunately there was no medical data on the tapes. Thieves are going to have a hard time accessing data on these tapes and will need special equipment and knowledge if they want to break this code.
The data in these tapes includes info like name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, insurance information, medical treatment information, and direct deposit bank account information related to 1.6 million patients and their guarantors, vendors, and employees at Nemours facilities in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida.
According to David J. Bailey, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer “This is an isolated incident unrelated to patient care and safety,”. “The privacy of our patients, their families, and our employees and business partners is a high priority to all of us at Nemours.”
Affected individuals are being notified and one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection as well as call center support has been offered to them.
In a special press release, patients were told the following:
Nemours has provided high quality and compassionate paediatric care for over 70 years, and the privacy and confidentiality of the information we maintain for our patients has always been an important part of the fundamental trust that we share with our patients and their families.
Needless to say, Nemours is revamping its data security policies. The policy includes data encryption and moving computer backup tapes to a another secure facility.
In a similar incident that we reported last week, backup tapes at TRICARE were lost. TRICARE is a provider of health care services to active and retired military personnel. These are careless and easily preventable mistakes that organizations must take into account.
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