Plan B Forum

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Aetna exposes HIV status of 12,000 patients



Fucking outrageous incompetence! I bet that mailing vendor was the cheapest.

Call me dangerously uninformed but I don't think the HIPAA Rules mentions, or prohibits, anything about health information being sent in clear window envelopes. I'd say the onus should be on the USPS carriers for reading this sensitive information and then blabbing it to the recipient's neighbors. I bet Obama has something to do with it.

Then, again, that's just me.

Or perhaps a few minutes more time for thinking by a human being that gives a shit. It would have been no big deal to look at the clear window envelop used for this mailing, and then put the information located on the paper in a fashion that ensured only the address would be visible

snailgate

Aetna are of course blaming their vendor whom they contracted to do the mailing. So they will issue a mea culpa, pay the fine and 'try to learn from the experience.' Aetna made $2.3 billion last year. I am guessing worst case a very very hefty fine of $10 million. Oh well, a buck on everyone's premium next year should cover that, so no harm done.

I am sure what they did (passing healthcare info on to a mailing vendor) is not illegal under HIPPA - so one of those forms you signed last time you were in the doctor's office said it was OK to do so. They may be stupid but they aren't that stupid.