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Health insurance sold patient data illegally

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Health insurance sold patient data illegally
Photo: DPA

Public health insurance companies may have sold personal patient information to private insurers, German federal commissioner for data protection Peter Schaar told daily Bild on Wednesday.

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Schaar has filed a legal report based on evidence that insurers illegally sold protected data in at least two cases, the paper reported. Information included statesments such as “no teeth” and “ill with cancer.”

Public prosecutors in Oldenburg and Aurich are investigating public health insurer IKK Weser-Ems, which merged with HKK in 2008.

The personal data may have been used by private insurers to target customers for supplemental private health plans.

“I’m afraid that other public health insurers work in similar ways with private insurers,” Schaar said.

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