Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper
Administrative Ethics Paper
Michelle Hoagland
Health Care and Social Responsibility/335
September 11, 2013
Mr. David Carmon
Administrative Ethics Paper
WellPoint, a managed care company, was investigated for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and Security Rules. The investigation concluded WellPoint improperly “implement policies and procedures for authorizing access to the on-line application database, perform an appropriate technical evaluation in response to a software upgrade to its information systems, and have technical safeguards in place to verify the person or entity seeking access to electronic protected health information maintained in its application database” (Sebelius, 2013).The investigation began in October 23, 2009 and ended in March 7, 2010. The investigation specified WellPoint released the Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) of about 620,000 entities by permitting admission to the ePHI of entities sustained in the application database. The information available by this database included phone numbers, SSN, dates of birth, and health information. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated even if database or system upgrades are accompanied by concealed individuals or the corresponding cooperation contacts, HHS expects all associations to comply with regulations by having appropriate technical, physical, and administrative safeguards to conceal the ePHI, confidentially, and integrity.
Resolution
WellPoint agrees to pay $1.7 million and is not released from any rights, obligations, and causes of action other than those of the Covered Conduct. HHS is grant to release any information about the investigation without any restriction. Based on other case the HHS has investigated with patient confidentiality, this case conducted fair and penalize in the same manner as the previous cases. This is an appropriate resolution as long as WellPoint further complies with
Michelle Hoagland
Health Care and Social Responsibility/335
September 11, 2013
Mr. David Carmon
Administrative Ethics Paper
WellPoint, a managed care company, was investigated for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and Security Rules. The investigation concluded WellPoint improperly “implement policies and procedures for authorizing access to the on-line application database, perform an appropriate technical evaluation in response to a software upgrade to its information systems, and have technical safeguards in place to verify the person or entity seeking access to electronic protected health information maintained in its application database” (Sebelius, 2013).The investigation began in October 23, 2009 and ended in March 7, 2010. The investigation specified WellPoint released the Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) of about 620,000 entities by permitting admission to the ePHI of entities sustained in the application database. The information available by this database included phone numbers, SSN, dates of birth, and health information. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated even if database or system upgrades are accompanied by concealed individuals or the corresponding cooperation contacts, HHS expects all associations to comply with regulations by having appropriate technical, physical, and administrative safeguards to conceal the ePHI, confidentially, and integrity.
Resolution
WellPoint agrees to pay $1.7 million and is not released from any rights, obligations, and causes of action other than those of the Covered Conduct. HHS is grant to release any information about the investigation without any restriction. Based on other case the HHS has investigated with patient confidentiality, this case conducted fair and penalize in the same manner as the previous cases. This is an appropriate resolution as long as WellPoint further complies with