Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

Privacy Controls for Fitness Devices?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 11, 2014

With the explosion of consumer fitness devices and health-related apps, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. wants the Federal Trade Commission to push the vendors of those products to adopt new privacy safeguards.

Data De-Identification: Getting It Right

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 8, 2014

When patient data is used for secondary purposes, such as research, it must be de-identified. But is this process consistently reliable in protecting patient privacy? Two experts describe the challenges.

Waging a War Against Healthcare Fraud

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 7, 2014

Healthcare fraud will increasingly be linked to some form of cybercrime, says Brendan Johnson, U.S. attorney in South Dakota, whose office is ramping up its anti-fraud efforts.

OIG Questions Certified EHR Security

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 6, 2014

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's initial oversight of organizations authorized to test and certify electronic health records software did not adequately ensure that patient data within EHRs is secure, a new report concludes.

Healthcare CISO Association Launched

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 4, 2014

To fill a gap in professional development and educational resources for healthcare information security leaders, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives has launched a new offshoot group for healthcare CISOs.

Study: EHR-Enabled Fraud Not Widespread

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 4, 2014

A new study of hospitals shows that, in general, those that routinely use EHRs don't submit higher claims for insurance payments than institutions that have yet to adopt EHRs, says researcher Julia Adler-Milstein.

GAO: Better HealthCare.gov Oversight Needed

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 31, 2014

A new government watchdog report says the governance practices of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were ineffective in the development of the HealthCare.gov website and its systems. A privacy and security report is pending.

Cancer Center Breach Involves ID Theft

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 31, 2014

Riverside Health System is notifying 2,000 cancer patients about a breach that involves alleged identity theft. It's the second security incident involving an insider at Riverside since last December.

This Laptop Theft Has an Unusual Twist

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 30, 2014

An unencrypted laptop computer stolen from an administrative office at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, S.C., apparently wound up at the bottom of a lake. Find out the details.

Health Breach Tally Update: The Causes

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 29, 2014

The federal tally of major health data breaches has grown substantially in recent weeks. Incidents added over the last month provide examples of the variety of risks that healthcare entities continue to battle.

Physician Convicted of Fraud, ID Theft

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 28, 2014

A physician who formerly owned several Texas hospitals is facing years in federal prison after being convicted by a jury of several counts of healthcare fraud and identity theft. A related case is still pending.

Examining FTC's Data Security Enforcement

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 25, 2014

A House panel, at a July 24 hearing, considered whether the Federal Trade Commission is overstepping its regulatory authority over data security and relying on questionable information in its investigations. Find out what witnesses had to say.

Health Net Breach Lawsuit Settled

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 24, 2014

A California court has given final approval for a settlement in a consolidated class action lawsuit against the insurer Health Net related to a 2011 breach that affected about 2 million individuals. Find out the terms of the settlement.

Sutter Health Breach Suit Dismissed

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 22, 2014

A consolidated class action lawsuit against Sutter Health related to a breach impacting more than 4 million individuals has been dismissed. The decision follows a number of other recent dismissals of similar healthcare data breach suits.

$190 Million Settlement in Privacy Case

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  July 22, 2014

Johns Hopkins Health System has agreed to a $190 million settlement in a privacy violation case that involved a physician using a pen-like camera to secretly photograph female patients. Learn what the organization is doing to prevent other privacy incidents.