Health Information Management

GAO report: CMS should standardize privacy breach reporting

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, September 11, 2006

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More than 40% of federal contractors and Medicaid agencies responding to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) survey reported that they experienced a recent privacy breach involving PHI, according to the GAO's survey results.

The GAO report, Domestic and Offshore Outsourcing of Personal Information in Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE, also states that many federal contractors and state Medicaid agencies initiated domestic outsourcing of services involving PHI. Although only one survey respondent reported outsourcing such services directly offshore, many that outsourced domestically reported that they knew their domestic subcontractors used offshore outsourcing.

Among the GAO's recommendations is a proposal that CMS bring its privacy breach reporting process in line with the reporting procedures that apply to TRICARE and Medicare fee-for-service contractors. Currently, CMS does not require Medicare Advantage contractors or state Medicaid agencies to report privacy breaches.



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