Covered California Data Sharing Practices Under Scrutiny

In-Depth Analysis

An investigation by The Markup and CalMatters revealed that Covered California, the state's health insurance exchange, was using the "LinkedIn Insight Tag" to send user data to LinkedIn. This data included sensitive health information entered by visitors on the coveredca.com website, such as whether they were blind, pregnant, or using a high number of prescription medications.

The trackers operated for more than a year as part of a marketing campaign before being removed. This practice prompted a letter from House lawmakers to Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California, expressing deep concern about the privacy and security implications.

Since the initial report, a follow-up investigation found four other state exchanges sharing information with tech companies. This has led to increased scrutiny of data privacy practices among health insurance exchanges.

**How to Prepare:**

1. **Adjust Browser Settings:** Enable advanced tracking protection in Safari or strict tracking protection in Firefox. 2. **Use Browser Extensions:** Install privacy-protecting browser extensions like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin Lite. 3. **Switch Browsers:** Consider using privacy-focused browsers such as Brave or DuckDuckGo.

**Who This Affects Most:**

This issue primarily affects individuals who use Covered California and other state health insurance exchanges to find and purchase health care plans. The inadvertent sharing of their sensitive health information puts them at risk of privacy violations.

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FAQ

What data was shared with LinkedIn?

Data included information about users' health conditions, such as pregnancy, blindness, and medication use.

How can I stop my data from being tracked?

Adjust browser settings, use privacy-focused browser extensions, or switch to privacy-oriented browsers.

Does using a VPN protect me from these trackers?

No, VPNs do not block these trackers. They only obscure your location.

Takeaways

Covered California shared sensitive health data with LinkedIn.
Lawmakers are demanding answers and investigating potential HIPAA violations.
You can take steps to protect your data by adjusting browser settings or using privacy-focused browsers and extensions.
This issue highlights the importance of understanding and controlling your online data privacy.

Discussion

Do you think state health insurance exchanges should be allowed to use trackers? What steps do you take to protect your online privacy? Share this article with others who need to stay ahead of this trend!

Sources

House lawmakers demand answers from Covered California on sending data to LinkedIn Congress follows up on CalMatters investigation This is how you stop online trackers from collecting your health data

Disclaimer

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