Health Information Management

TriWest hit with class-action lawsuit for negligence

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, February 13, 2003

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIPAA Weekly Advisor!

A class-action lawsuit was filed in late January against TriWest Healthcare Alliance in the U.S. District Court for Arizona on behalf of Lt. Col. Michael Stollenwerk and Andrea DeGatica, both of Virginia, reports The Arizona Republic. The two are seeking unspecified monetary damages for alleged negligence, breach of contract, and violations of the federal Privacy Act.

Thieves took computer equipment and files from the Arizona-based defense contractor, which provides managed health care for military personnel in 16 states, during a December 14 break-in.

The theft of computer hard drives containing more than 500,000 records with Social Security numbers, medical claims histories, and other private information could become one of the largest identity thefts on record if the information is misused.

Go to http://www.arizonarepublic.com/arizona/articles/0130triwest30.html to read more about the lawsuit and see the January 13 HIPAA Weekly Advisor to read more about the theft.



Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIPAA Weekly Advisor!

  • Briefings on APCs

    Worried about the complexities of the new rules under OPPS and APCs? Briefings on APCs helps you understand the new rules...

  • Medical Records Briefing

    Guiding Health Information Management professionals through the continuously changing field of medical records and toward a...

  • Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies

    Submitting improper Medicare documentaion can lead to denial of fees, payback, fines, and increased diligence from payers...

  • Briefings on HIPAA

    How can you minimize the impact of HIPAA? Subscribe to Briefings on HIPAA, your health information management resource for...

  • APCs Weekly Monitor

    This HTML-based e-mail newsletter provides weekly tips and advice on the new ambulatory payment classifications regulations...

Most Popular

Related Articles