Healthcare data is a treasure trove of information and criminals are launching ever-more aggressive, targeted attacks to get it. In today’s world of cyber attacks and data breaches, sensitive information is readily exposed and consumers are increasingly vulnerable to medical identity theft and healthcare fraud. While last year quickly became the year of the healthcare breach, this year saw a surge in ransomware and spear phishing attacks, to name a few. According to the latest Ponemon Institute report on medical identity theft, the number of victims has nearly doubled in five years. Will this number continue to grow exponentially? Many healthcare providers are taking proactive measures and exploring new ways to protect patient privacy. Is it enough? Are healthcare organizations working with law enforcement early on? All government fronts are stepping up fraud protection and cracking down on healthcare fraud. Are the efforts helping? Or, as an industry, are we plugging holes only to find new holes.
DWT partner Sean Hoar took part in this panel that reviewed medical identity theft and healthcare fraud in 2016 from three perspectives: consumer, health plan, and legal/regulatory. The panel focused on:
- Exploring what’s at stake
- Discussing the issues and pain points
- Outlining the trends
- Examining solutions