Lawmakers again raise alarm over OPM’s health records collection plan
The Office of Personnel Management’s plan to collect claims-level health information about federal workers and their family members and store it for 30 years could open feds up to a potential security breach, Senate Democrats said.
The Office of Personnel Management's plan to collect and store health records of federal workers and their family members has raised concerns among lawmakers about potential security breaches. The collection of claims-level health information and storage for 30 years increases the risk of sensitive data being compromised. This concern is particularly relevant given the increasing frequency and severity of cyberattacks on government agencies.
The collection of health records by OPM also raises questions about data privacy and the potential for misuse. Federal employees and their family members may be hesitant to share sensitive health information if they are not confident that it will be protected. The 30-year storage period also raises concerns about the long-term security of the data and the potential for it to become outdated or irrelevant.
Going forward, personnel professionals and lawmakers will be watching to see how OPM addresses these concerns and ensures the secure collection and storage of health records. Key questions to watch include: What specific measures will OPM take to protect the data from security breaches? How will the agency ensure that the data is accurate and up-to-date? And what steps will be taken to prevent potential misuse of the collected information?
Originally reported by govexec.com. PersonnelNews adds analysis for government & civic readers.