WellPoint pays HHS $1.7 million for PHI accessible over Internet
The managed care company WellPoint Inc. has agreed to pay the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $1.7 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules.
"This case sends an important message to HIPAA-covered entities to take caution when implementing changes to their information systems, especially when those changes involve updates to Web-based applications or portals that are used to provide access to consumers’ health data using the Internet," according to the HHS announcement.
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) began its investigation following a breach report submitted by WellPoint as required by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health, or HITECH Act. The HITECH Breach Notification Rule requires HIPAA-covered entities to notify HHS of a breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI).
The report indicated that security weaknesses in an online application database left the electronic protected health information (PHI) of 612,402 individuals accessible to unauthorized individuals over the Internet.
OCR’s investigation indicated that WellPoint did not implement appropriate administrative and technical safeguards as required under the HIPAA Security Rule. Specifically, the investigation indicated WellPoint did not:
- adequately implement policies and procedures for authorizing access to the online application database;
- perform an appropriate technical evaluation in response to a software upgrade to its information systems;
- have technical safeguards in place to verify the person or entity seeking access to electronic protected health information maintained in its application database.
As a result, beginning on Oct. 23, 2009, until March 7, 2010, WellPoint impermissibly disclosed the PHI of 612,402 individuals by allowing access to the PHI of such individuals maintained in the application database. This data included names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, telephone numbers, and health information.
"Whether systems upgrades are conducted by covered entities or their business associates, HHS expects organizations to have in place reasonable and appropriate technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information, especially information that is accessible over the Internet," HHS said.
