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HIPAA—passed 22 years ago to improve information security, control costs and reduce administrative burdens—faces daily challenges with increasing cybersecurity attacks and data breaches. But what about personal information that is not covered by this law? A physician can’t tell an advertiser about someone’s diabetes, for example—but what about social media posts, credit card purchases and publicly available information?

Attempts to hack political players isn’t just an American thing. Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore’s prime minister, has been repeatedly targeted by cyber thieves—and they have accessed a database with information of 1.5 million patients who visited clinics run by SingHealth, the country’s public healthcare system.

Robert Wilkie

Robert Wilkie received Senate confirmation as the new Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday, July 23, by an 86-9 vote.

Reports of a Chinese vaccine manufacturer fabricating data about its rabies vaccine data has caused an uproar both in China and internationally. It also has also led many to consider blockchain as a potential answer to fraudulent activity.

RCCH Healthcare Partners (RCCH), owned by private equity firm Apollo Global Management, announced a merger with Tennessee-based LifePoint Health in a transaction worth approximately $5.6 billion.

Anthem announced a partnership with Samsung and American Well to offer a mobile app that will connect patients with U.S.-based healthcare providers for non-emergency medical information. The “Experts” service will be available the Anthem-covered individuals with Samsung mobile devices.

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“This is a financial emergency for our practice,” one physician says, according to a new survey from the American Society for Radiation Oncology.