GAO reports numerous security breaches

A GAO report found that Medicare needs to keep better tabs on how contractors manage patients' health data. The study found that over 40 percent of Medicare contractors and state Medicaid agencies experienced a breach of patient data in the last two years, though it did not examine the severity of the breaches. "According to the study, 47 percent of Medicare Advantage contractors reported privacy breaches within the past two years, as did 44 percent of Medicaid agencies, 42 percent of Medicare FFS (fee for service) contractors and 38 percent of the contractors for the Tricare program." In addition, most Medicare contractors and state Medicaid agencies outsourced some of their work, and the vendors contracted to provide health technology outsourced overseas. In response to the findings, the GAO recommended that Medicare contractors and state Medicaid agencies be required to report privacy breaches.

For more on the privacy breaches:
- read this ComputerWorld article

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