Healthcare Breach Response at Scale: 750K Patients, One Month

A prominent medical billing provider operating across the Southwest U.S. manages billing data for over 160 hospitals and 750,000 patients. The client faced a complex issue involving the analysis of a vast dataset and required a partner who could produce a comprehensive and accurate notification list while maintaining legal compliance.

The client needed specialized expertise in understanding and processing a large, intricate dataset containing sensitive data from multiple hospitals. Morae stood out for two reasons: first, deep expertise in data extraction and breach response; second, the clarity and certainty offered in pricing and timeline.

Unlike other providers — who were unable to guarantee pricing or timelines and left many aspects as TBD — Morae committed to a flat-rate price with no uplifts and a clear, one-month timeframe from ingestion to delivery of the notification list. This predictability was critical in securing the partnership.

The project began with in-depth discussions with the client's legal counsel to ensure notification requirements and legal interpretations were fully understood. Morae focused on a strategic approach, recognizing that adding more people would not be cost-effective or efficient. Instead, the team emphasized an optimized workflow leveraging technical capabilities and data expertise.

Services provided included:

• Hosting
• Data processing
• Data mining and review
• Notification list creation

Morae utilized Relativity's built-in features to streamline the workflow and enhance efficiency, customizing workflows to align with the client's specific requirements.

The extraction and notification process was complex due to the need to identify data owners and determine who required initial notification. This task required advanced analysis of metadata — something Morae's experienced team was uniquely qualified to handle.

The project was completed within the agreed-upon timeframe and cost structure. The notification list was produced and delivered in full compliance with required legal standards.

Key outcomes:

• 241,116 raw data files mined to a review population of 50,500 — an 80% reduction in scope.
• 39,993 documents required extraction, resulting in precision of almost 80%, with 8,850 containing reportable data on over 11 unique individuals per file.
• 4.8 million raw individuals identified, with over 40 million data elements extracted.
• 750,454 consolidated individuals identified through a customized process utilizing Morae's innovative consolidation tool — a finalist for an innovation award at RelFest.
• 160+ hospitals/providers — each individual was tied to one or more hospitals for notification purposes.

The client was highly satisfied with the speed and accuracy, leading to continued business and future engagements. Morae's solution significantly reduced complexity and time, offering substantial cost savings compared to other approaches. The clarity and certainty provided to both the client and their legal counsel helped them meet their obligations and strengthened the partnership.