Industry News

DOJ Reports on Sentencing for Former Tufts Health Plan Employee Who Disclosed PHI.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently reported that a former Tufts Health Plan employee was sentenced in federal court for stealing personal identifiable information belonging to over 8,700 individuals and unlawfully disclosing Social Security numbers. The stolen data included names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, primarily belonging to customers over the age of 65. The employee gave lists of customers’ personal identification information to individuals as part of a scheme to steal Social Security benefits. Additionally, the employee aimed to steal the customer’s identities to file false income tax returns. The U.S. District Court sentenced the employee to two years in federal prison for her role in the scheme. An accomplice who was also a direct part of the scheme received a sentence of one year and one day in prison. In addition to her two year sentence, the employee was also required to pay approximately $52,000 in restitution.

The full press release is available at:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/former-tufts-health-plan-employee-sentenced-disclosing-personal-patient-information.