Healthcare IT Update

Surprise! Stuff on a middle manager’s laptop is more valuable than stuff on a CEO’s.

Yet another health care company made the news recently with a stolen laptop: A local Florida paper reported on Feb. 15, 2010 that two laptops stolen from AvMed Health Plans’ corporate office in Gainesville, FL contained personal information — including PHI — of over 200,000 people.

Studies show that security breach incidents are costing companies — including health care providers and plans – more and more money, as well as customers.

In the AvMed case, the data was not protected properly, according to a statement by AvMed, which began notifying affected patients in early February of the breach, which occurred in late December.XX

This past winter, Connecticut AG Robert Blumenthal went after both Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Health Net (United) for similar lapses, becoming the…