On August 31, 2018, Carpenters Benefit Funds of Philadelphia submitted a HIPAA Email Breach to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Based in Philadelphia, PA, Carpenters Benefit Funds of Philadelphia’s email breach affected 20,015 individuals’ protected health information. Carpenters Benefit Funds of Philadelphia is classified as a Health Plan.
According to this report about Carpenters Benefit Funds of Philadelphia’s breach:
Carpenters Benefit Funds of Philadelphia is not aware of any reports of identity fraud or improper use of information as a direct result of this incident. Carpenters Benefit Funds of Philadelphia has mailed letters today to participants whose sensitive personal and health information was contained in the affected email inboxes.
…Carpenters Benefit Funds of Philadelphia has taken steps to minimize the risk of a similar incident in the future, including implementation of additional employee training and security measures.
The HHS Wall of Shame is a website under the jurisdiction of HHS that lists all HIPAA breaches reported within the last 24 months. The Wall of Shame displays breaches that are currently under investigation by the Office for Civil Rights. As part of section 13402(e)(4) of the HITECH Act, the HHS Secretary must post a list of breaches of unsecured protected health information affecting 500 or more individuals.