Data Breach

[cats4ever]

When I was working in the yard today, I found two sheets of paper with somebody's medical history. It was a copy for the patient, because it listed future appointments
They contained the person's name, address, birthdate, medical conditions, the type of insurance they were using and patient ID along with the hospital's name. I assume it blew off the garbage truck.
In the wrong hands, this could be very bad. I shredded the papers and disposed of them.
All my papers are filed away, and when it's time, everything gets shredded.

[phesina]

Good grief.. How awful.

That's good that you shredded the papers! It's lucky that you were the one who found them, and I wonder if there were others tossed out along with those ones.

[cassiesmom]

I go to the local Walgreens pharmacy. There's a big trash can outside the store, and on the lid is a sign instructing pharmacy patients not to toss the paperwork from their prescriptions into this particular trash can. Instead, take it inside the store and give it to any employee for shredding. When I worked with Medicaid patients the need for data security was drilled into us, and I've been careful ever since.

[cats4ever]

It still amazes me how careless people are with their personal information, even with all the news about data breaches.
I have found invoices before in our yard, but never anything with medical info.
I imagine that other people living along this road have found stuff like this. It's scary for sure.

[Randi]

I agree! Some people are too careless with their personal info. Not long ago, I cleaned out some of my papers, but I made sure my name, address and CPR number was not on them when I put them in the bin. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a shredder, so it takes time. I've often seen homeless people go through bins in our yard to see what goodies they can find.

Also, be careful when you trash your computer!

[mon]

I think everyone should purchase a shredder, you just cannot be too careful. There are just so many career criminals out there living off the hard work of others with one evil scam or another. It infuriates me no end as they seem to always choose naive people, older folks and people with very little to rip off. I have reemed out many phone scammers saying they are from Telus or Apple etc. they sound very professional and legitimate but you lust know they are sitting on their arse at some call centre in India or Brazil or wherever, just lying through their teeth. I remember at least three time. No morals whatsoever, makes me SICK!! Who are these revolting people? I feel a little better now Be careful people!

[cats4ever]

Also remember to pull off the labels of your medicine bottles before discarding them!

[Karen]

I once picked up a bottle of the Levothyroxine - thyroid replacement hormone i have to take daily, only to get it home and realized immediately that the bottle was the wrong dosage - and for the wring person! It was for someone else with the same first and last initial as I, but a much different dosage. I immediately called the pharmacy (it had been a brand new pharmacist who had filled it) and not only had to bring it back, but meet with the head pharmacist and sign a piece of paper swearing I would not divulge the other patients private information to anyone. I also never saw that new pharmacist again, though that may be a coincidence.

[RICHARD]

I spent 30 years doing "health care info management" - That is just a BS job description for a file clerk/data entry person.

I have a REAL BUG up my rear about medical info - From the standpoint of a patient and as a worker in the field.

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YOUR health history is a real PRIVATE subject and I am insanely puzzled as to why people are so cavalier about it.

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Here is an example of JUST HOW STUPID people are?

When my mom's house was being sold, the purchaser left me a hand written note in the mailbox.

It was a lengthy note written on the back of a sheet of paper from his doctor's visit.

The note came from the hospital system I had worked for and it contained his patient ID number, doctor name and some other stuff.

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I was stunned.

I called him and told him just how stupid he was - he was a jerk so I had a small bit of satisfaction in telling him that?

I told him that with JUST a medical record number - I could find out EVERYTHING in his med history.

Even though I didn't work for the company anymore, I still had enough contacts within the system to get that info with no problem what so ever........

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I am not a fan of electronic medical records.

Even with the current HIPPA laws (health info rules) there are still people that go snooping around looking for info. ONE OF the biggest scams is selling info to people who are maliciously making claims to insurance companies.

Please be careful in disposing of your info, letters and communications on the interwebz.

You medical history is JUST as valuable as your financial history.