The need for health care providers to review their privacy and security programs cannot be overemphasized, as significant breaches in the health care industry continue to make front page news. The value of information maintained by health care providers, both health information and identifying information such as patient identification numbers, social security numbers, addresses and other information that can easily be used for identity theft, is substantial and has a high value on resale markets. According to the New York Times, “Medical identity theft is on the rise, experts say, because it pays. In black-market auctions, complete patient medical records tend to fetch higher prices than credit card numbers. One security expert said that at one auction a patient medical record sold for $251, while credit card records were selling for 33 cents.”
The full article can be found here.
Should you require assistance in ensuring HIPAA compliance, please contact Melissa Zambri, Co-Chair of the Barclay Damon Health Care and Human Services Practice Area.