Huge Medicare And Medicaid Computer System Has Serious Flaws

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Huge Medicare And Medicaid Computer System Has Serious Flaws

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=53674

A Medicaid and Medicare computer network is riddled with serious

computer flaws, according to a report published in the New York Times.

The network contains sensitive financial data on beneficiaries and

connects the databank of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Services to a vast array of organizations, such as banks, nursing

homes, hospitals, insurance companies, health plans and other private

institutions, says the newspaper.

According to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation,

crucial information security controls are not present in the system.

It found that there were no strict password controls and the Medicare

and Medicaid data is not coded. The investigation also found that

there are no comprehensive records of how the network is being used.

The New York Times article states that Dr. M McClellan, Head of the

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the flaws will be

corrected. He added that there have been no security breaches.

However, as Medicare officials have no effective system to monitor

the network, they most likely would have no idea if a security

breached had occurred. In other words, the assurance is pretty

flimsy - a bit like closing your eyes and saying you don't think

there are any birds flying in the sky.

These flaws could make it possible for unauthorized people to gain

access to sensitive medical information on beneficiaries, say the GAO

investigators. The system is vulnerable to a serious disruption of

services which could affect millions of people.