Please take a few minutes to double-check faxes you may send to the State. When faxes leave a location, they are “stamped” with a Calling-Station ID across the top of the fax by the receiving agency. This Calling-Station ID is programmed into the fax machine and tells the receiving agency the fax number of the sender.
Recently, a fax came to the State containing the Calling-Station ID of a restaurant. The restaurant had leased a fax machine that was returned to an office equipment company. The company leased the machine again to a provider. Unfortunately, the office equipment company did not change the Calling-Station ID within the machine. When the provider began to send faxes, receiving fax machines printed the restaurant’s fax number. The provider became aware of the problem and immediately contacted the office equipment company who reprogrammed the fax machine.
The State uses an automated process of responding to faxes it receives, including faxes requesting authorization of products and services. It pulls the programmed fax number and populates it on outgoing faxes. This process is designed to remove the potential for human error by misdialing the number of the originating fax machine, and it expedites the process of responding to requests. If the automated process pulls a programmed fax number that is wrong, a breach of private health information can occur.
This quick check may save you and the State from the possibility of unintended breaches.