HIPAA Blog

[ Wednesday, January 30, 2008 ]

From Modern Healthcare:

N.J. Blues warns customers about stolen data
New Jersey’s largest health insurance company is warning more than 300,000 members that some of their personal information was on a laptop computer that was stolen.
Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield says the risk of identity theft is small because the data was password-protected. Also, the computer was programmed to automatically
destroy the information on Jan. 23.
The laptop contained names, Social Security numbers and other personal information for about 10% of the insurer’s 3.3 million customers in New Jersey. Medical information was not included. Company spokesman Daniel Emmer said the computer was stolen on Jan. 5 while it was being taken home by an employee.
Customers whose names were on the computer are being offered a year of free credit monitoring.

Jeff [3:51 PM]

Comments:

Yeah, like as if though they REALLY know exactly whose names were in the PC. What the heck was the employee doing taking home other people's medical info?

Did someone say that the info was "programmed" to self-destruct? Sounds like "mission impossible" to me!

# posted by

Unknown : 12:49 AM