2.2 million patients affected in 21st Century Oncology cyber breach

FORT MYERS, Fla.- In an email to employees, 21st Century Oncology confirmed patient information was illegally obtained through a security breach into the company’s database.

At least 2.2 million patients were affected, sources said Wednesday. It later provided the number to a call center for concerned patients.

The company told employees, however, they “have no evidence that the potentially-affected patient information has been misused, or that employee data was accessed or obtained.”

The company adds it has “taken new steps to enhance internal security protocols to help prevent a similar incident in the future.” On Friday, 21st Century began notifying patients possibly affected by the security breach.

21st Century Oncology has also been accused of over-billing Medicare to the tune of $35 million. The company must now pay back the money after the government says it performed unnecessary procedures.

It’s the second major settlement concerning taxpayer dollars involving the company in just months.

The cancer-care giant agreed to pay nearly $20 million in Dec. 2015 to settle federal allegations of billing Medicare and Tricare for expensive and unnecessary medical tests. Company doctors submitted claims for bladder cancer tests that could total over $30,000 in reimbursements per case, but court documents in a 2013 whistleblower suit allege these tests are rarely effective.

Dr. David Spellberg, one of the four Southwest Florida doctors named by federal prosecutors as participating in the practice, will pay more than $1 million to settle his involvement in the case.

Spellberg ordered the original tests to be shredded, according to the whistleblower suit, which was filed by local employment attorney Benjamin Yormak. His client received $3.6 million as a result of turning in her employer, 21st Century Oncology.

The alleged actions happened after 21st Century bought Naples Urology, where Spellberg worked, the suit said. Naples Urology was rewarded with new office equipment in 2011, according to the documents.

Spellberg, in a statement following his settlement, stood behind the testing but said he settled with federal prosecutors “to avoid the tremendous expense and time of further litigation.”

Dr. Meir Daller of Gulfstream Urology, Dr. Steven Paletsky of Florida Specialists in Urology and Dr. Robert Scappa of Scappa Urology were also named by federal officials.

In a statement, 21st Century said:

21st Century Oncology has entered into a settlement with the federal government to resolve a dispute related to clinical training in new facility locations for a radiation therapy test used by radiation oncologists called GAMMA. 

21st Century Oncology fully cooperated with federal officials and has agreed to the settlement with no admission of wrongdoing. Further, there was no harm to any patient related to this dispute, nor was the issue of patient harm ever a component of the dispute.

The GAMMA tool is a state-of-the-art radiation dose calculation system developed by 21st Century Oncology and implemented by our physicians to optimize patient outcomes.

21st Century Oncology will continue utilizing the GAMMA tool across our network to help provide uniquely efficient radiation therapy to our patients.  We fully support our physicians’ ability to determine what diagnostic and treatment tools should be utilized for each patient. 

21st Century Oncology has further enhanced our comprehensive compliance, auditing and training programs to ensure transparency and the delivery of the highest quality, most clinically appropriate care to our patients. 

Patients who are concerned about their personal information are asked to call 1-866-446-1405 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.