Associated Eye Care

The covered entity (CE), Associated Eye Care, reported that its business associate (BA) was the victim of a cybersecurity incident that affected the protected health information (PHI) of 40,793 individuals. The PHI involved included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, diagnoses and conditions, lab results, and medications. The CE notified HHS, affected individuals, the media, and provided substitute notice on its website. In response to the breach, the CE established a call-center and provided credit monitoring for affected individuals. The CE also implemented additional administrative, technical, and security safeguards. OCR provided technical assistance regarding the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. The CE has since terminated its business relationship with the BA.