Guidance Advanced To Press Health Insurers To Step Up Data Protection Efforts
Modern Healthcare reports that the National Association of Insurance Commissioners adopted new principles to aid state regulators in holding insurers accountable and making sure companies have taken the right steps to protect against cyberattacks.
Modern Healthcare:
Insurers Face Tougher Oversight On Protecting Data
New national guidelines indicate health insurers will face tougher regulatory scrutiny over how they protect customers from data breaches. But the guidance likely won't do much to prevent cyberattacks in the first place. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners on April 16 adopted a dozen principles for “effective cybersecurity insurance regulatory guidance.” The guidelines were issued in response to the massive data breaches that burned health insurers this year, including at Anthem and Premera Blue Cross, involving data on more than 90 million people. (Herman, 4/25)
Also in the news, developments on the app front, including the idea that new apps might require new ideas about privacy -
NPR:
As Health Apps Hop On The Apple Watch, Privacy Will Be Key
One day soon, you may be waiting in line for a coffee, eyeing a pastry, when your smart watch buzzes with a warning. Flashing on the tiny screen of your Apple Watch is a message from an app called Lark, suggesting that you lay off the carbs for today. Speak into the Apple Watch's built-in mic about your food, sleep and exercise, and the app will send helpful tips back to you. (Farr, 4/25)
Dallas Morning News:
Have A Sick Kid Who Needs Care? There’s An App For That
A business startup targeting tech-savvy parents in Frisco and Plano will soon have nurse practitioners making house calls for sick kids. Using an Uber-like app on their iPhone, parents can put in a request for service from PediaQ. Within minutes a nurse practitioner will call for details and make sure it’s not an emergency that warrants a trip to the ER. For urgent care cases, she’ll arrive at the family’s home, the babysitter’s house or even a hotel room within an hour. Nurse practitioners can treat a long list of ailments, from coughs and colds to allergies and rashes. (Wigglesworth, 4/24)
