HARRISBURG, Pa. — Note: The video is from May 11.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has terminated its contract with Insight Global, the contact tracing company involved in a data breach that potentially exposed the personal health information of an estimated 72,000 Pennsylvanians last month.
"As a matter of public trust, the Department of Health takes the safety and security of individuals’ personal information very seriously," a department spokesperson told FOX43 on Thursday. "The contact tracing process is a core part of disease prevention in public health. As such, after more fully evaluating the circumstances, including the ever changing public health needs of Pennsylvanians, the Department is terminating its contract with Insight Global prior to its July 31, 2021 expiration."
The termination will be effective June 19, the department said.
The spokesperson said its requirement that Insight Global notify those affected by the data breach is still in effect, and those notifications should begin this week.
"Insight Global’s obligations to remedy the security incident extend beyond the termination of the contract and are not impacted by this decision," the spokesperson said.
The Commonwealth’s contact tracing operation will continue and the 1-877-PA-Health line will continue to be staffed, according to the department.
The spokesperson declined to provide further details regarding the contract termination, citing recent litigation filed against the department.
Insight Global was paid an estimated $30 million of taxpayer money to perform contract tracing in Pennsylvania.