The contractor NaphCare, charged with disclosing a health data breach involving Alaska inmates, now maintains that while the identities were authentic, the diagnoses were not. The ACLU of Alaska revealed on Tuesday that a serious privacy breach compromised the identities and private information of 74 prisoners. This breach included sensitive details such as prescription drugs, mental health diagnoses, and other personal data, which the electronic records contractor for the Department of Corrections made publicly available on a training website(DOC). Anyone with an internet connection could view the data.
In rebuttal, the prison healthcare provider NaphCare in Alabama released a statement describing the ACLU’s assertions as “false and misleading.” Although the corporation admitted that a training handbook inadvertently leaked to the public, it acted quickly to protect the material. NaphCare claims that while the materials used actual prisoner names, they created all the health-related information solely for training purposes. They clarified that they revealed no actual medical information.
The ACLU of Alaska voiced concerns despite this. Spokesman Meghan Barker emphasized that it is still problematic to post actual identities with fake medical information. She asserted that everyone, including those incarcerated, has the right to privacy concerning their personal health information. Barker described NaphCare’s decision to utilize genuine names with phony medical data as alarming and concerning.
According to NaphCare, it is standard practice in the industry to combine fictitious medical data with actual patient identities. The business stated that non-medical employees enter fake health data to simulate a genuine setting while withholding accurate medical information. They frequently use publicly available demographic data to create fictitious patient records. It is unclear if Alaska inmates affected by the health data leak are aware of the situation as most do not have internet access.
This news story was originally published by Anchorage Daily News.
