HHS OCR report ยท 2016
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA)
- Entity type
- Health Plan
- State
- Washington
- Individuals affected
- 91,187
- Submission date
- Feb 9, 2016
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
A workforce member impermissibly emailed the protected health information (PHI) of 141,288 individuals to an unauthorized personal email account that belonged to another state employee related to the workforce member. The types of PHI involved in the breach included addresses, dates of birth, names, other identifiers, social security numbers, diagnoses, and other treatment information. The CE provided breach notification to HHS, affected individuals, and the media. Following the breach, th...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 91,187 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Feb 9, 2016.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Unauthorized Access/Disclosure, with the breached information located in: Email.
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 Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) 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 Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA).