HHS OCR report · 2017
Department of Human Services, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Department of Human Services, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Entity type
- Health Plan
- State
- Pennsylvania
- Individuals affected
- 517
- Submission date
- Sep 7, 2017
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Other
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
The covered entity (CE), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Human Services, reported that between July 5, 2017 and July 13, 2017, its printer failed to verify matches between envelope information and the envelope contents, causing 517 clients to receive another client’s protected health information (PHI). The breach involved demographic information. A setting within the software for the envelope machine configuration had not been enabled and the CE immediately corrected it. The CE...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Department of Human Services, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 517 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Sep 7, 2017.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Unauthorized Access/Disclosure, with the breached information located in: Other.
Is the investigation still open?
No. The report is in the OCR portal archive, which holds reports where OCR has closed its review.
Is a breach notice letter from Department of Human Services, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania legitimate?
This site cannot verify letters. Check the sender against the organisation's official website and the HHS OCR breach portal, and avoid calling numbers or clicking links only listed in an unexpected message. See our guide on what to do after a data breach notice.
Source: HHS OCR Breach Portal, OCR export October 2026. Network USA is not affiliated with HHS or Department of Human Services, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.