Taiwan is often praised for having one of the best healthcare systems in the world. But a recent information leak by senior employees of Taiwan's health insurance administration may leave people wondering how well their personal information is safeguarded.
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Three senior employees working for Taiwan's National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) were accused of leaking personal information to unknown parties for the past 13 years. The leaked information includes personal health and healthcare enrollment information. The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office questioned the three on Monday night.
The accused are: Yeh Feng-ming (葉逢明), a retired NHIA chief secretary, and two NHIA employees Lee Jen-hui (李仁輝) and Hsieh Yu-lien (謝玉蓮). The office says they abused their access to sensitive information of private citizens, intelligence agency personnel, and government officials.
Hsieh, in particular, was accused of inappropriately gathering data on members of the police department, investigation bureau, and immigration bureau. Hsieh potentially violated the National Intelligence Service Law and could be charged with breaching national security.
NHIA officials in charge of information services say their protocols are set in accordance with the proper safety guidelines. Another NHIA official says they have removed the two employees’ database access and job posts during the ongoing investigation.
The prosecutor's office says the severity of the leak and its impact on national security will require further investigation.