The health & social-services tech stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Denver Health Medical Plan says a vendor's access key sat on a public website for over a year, putting records of 238,083 members within reach.
Read more: A health plan's vendor left a key online for a year, exposing 238K membersA Kroll report finds most people caught in data breaches were exposed through a vendor, not the company they dealt with. Here is what that means for your data.
Read more: Most people hit by data breaches were exposed through a vendorBaba, an AI company, raised $40 million to build tools that help Medicare and Medicaid patients reach care teams and handle the paperwork of getting care.
Read more: Baba raises $40 million for AI that helps Medicare and Medicaid patientsPatientGain has launched ReputeMD, a $100-a-month service that helps doctors and dentists gather patient reviews while following US health privacy rules.
Read more: New service helps doctors and dentists collect patient reviews safelyA Tom's Guide test gave ChatGPT and Grok five everyday questions older adults ask. Each won two, and the answers show why exact instructions matter.
Read more: ChatGPT and Grok face off on five everyday questions for older adultsA Washington medical practice will pay $4.6 million over a breach that may have exposed 583,741 people. Affected patients can claim free monitoring and cash by January 10, 2027.
Read more: Washington clinic pays $4.6 million over patient data breachUltraMobile Imaging says a network break-in exposed health and financial details on 75,000 people, and credit monitoring does not appear to be on offer.
Read more: Mobile scan provider says data on 75,000 patients was exposedMeta is testing a two-link monthly cap on Facebook pages, and city and nonprofit pages say they were hit even though Meta says they should not be.
Read more: Facebook is limiting free links for city and nonprofit pagesQuest Diagnostics says hackers got into a lab ordering system and patient records were likely exposed. Here is who should pay attention and what to watch for.
Read more: Quest Diagnostics says hackers likely got patient recordsA New York law firm says hackers reached files holding health and identity details of 196,645 patients. Two smaller medical practices also reported breaches.
Read more: Manhattan law firm breach exposes health data of 197,000 peopleUS, UK and German agencies warn that SafePay ransomware, which has hit more than 600 organizations, gets in through weak logins and old, unpatched business gear.
Read more: US and allies warn about SafePay, a fast-growing ransomware gangAn Australian judge ordered Apple to let iPhones install apps from other app stores and websites from March 2027. Apple says it will appeal.
Read more: Australian court orders Apple to let iPhones use other app storesRidgeway Pharmacy in Montana says its website exposed health and insurance details for 258,920 customers, and two clinics reported separate breaches.
Read more: Montana mail-order pharmacy's website leak exposes 258,920 customersTwo safety nonprofits found flaws in OpenAI's systems that AI agents could use to dodge monitoring. It matters as AI gets more access to business tools.
Read more: Safety testers found holes in OpenAI's systems that AI could exploitInnovative Renal Care agreed to a $900,000 settlement over a 2024 cyberattack, and people affected can claim money by December 21, 2026.
Read more: Kidney care company pays $900,000 over 2024 patient data theftUnited Memorial Medical Center in Batavia now uses AI on heart CT scans to judge blockages, which could mean fewer invasive tests and lower costs for patients.
Read more: Batavia hospital uses AI to check heart blockages from a CT scanA Missouri county health department will pay $2.25 million over a 2022 breach. Affected people can claim $150 or up to $300 by November 16, 2026.
Read more: Missouri health department pays $2.25M over 2022 data breachHHS has warned seven health tech companies suspected of blocking access to health data. You have a legal right to your records, and regulators are starting to act.
Read more: Federal Regulators Warn Seven Health Tech Firms Over Blocked Patient DataSarasota Memorial and Unite Us say tracking patient referrals to community help after discharge cut hospital readmissions. The exact numbers were not in the release text.
Read more: Sarasota Memorial Links Patients to Community Help and Cuts ReadmissionsHims now sells testosterone treatment online, with an at-home blood test and a required video visit. Here is how it works and what to ask first.
Read more: Hims Starts Selling Testosterone Treatment Online to MenA new Canadian program backed by RBC will help nonprofits design their own AI agents, and share the best designs openly for others to copy.
Read more: Canadian nonprofits get a free program to build their own AI helpersMedicaid must cover nursing homes for anyone eligible, but home care can have caps and waitlists. An opinion piece argues that gap leaves families and nonprofits exposed.
Read more: Medicaid pays for nursing homes by right, but home care is cappedAn Inc. piece says a drop in ChatGPT visitors may be a tracking gap, not lost demand. Check your reports before you change marketing spend.
Read more: Your ChatGPT traffic may not have dropped, it may just be untrackedAn AARP report says Medicare fraud can cost older adults their access to care and their financial security. Here is what that means if you or a parent uses Medicare.
Read more: Medicare fraud can cost older adults their care and savings
