HHS: 1K breaches have affected 32M people

Laura Pedulli | | Health Exec | Cybersecurity

Since 2009, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has reported more than 1,000 medical record breaches affecting 500 or more individuals.

To date, HHS has recorded 1,027 breaches that have cumulatively impacted 31.7 million individuals. Causes include theft (529 breaches); unauthorized access and disclosure (165 breaches); unknown/other (113 breaches); loss of data (102 breaches); hacking (76 breaches); and improper disposal (42 breaches).

States with the most breaches include California (110); Texas (82); and Florida (65).

The agency has reported a total of 116,000 breaches involving the records of fewer than 500 people through March 1, 2013.

Speaking at a recent American Bar Association conference, HHS Chief Rights Counsel Jerome Meites said he expects penalties for HIPAA violations to increase significantly next year, according to an article in The Hill. Since 2013, the agency has received more than $10 million for alleged HIPAA violations.

To access HHS’ database, go here.

Laura Pedulli

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