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If you don’t live in Canada, you might not know that LifeLabs has a virtual monopoly on the lab business. If your doctor wants you to take a blood test, you go to LifeLabs. Whomever broke into their systems knows a great deal about the private health information of a large fraction of Canadians.
“For customers who are concerned, LifeLabs has offered to cover one year of data protection that includes dark web monitoring as well as identity theft insurance.” That’s it? If I was Canadian I’d want to see execs going to jail and or their contract yanked. If they switched over to using a webapp or chromeos on the desktop things would probably be much more secure. But that’s not going to happen, cuz it’s owned by t…
“For customers who are concerned, LifeLabs has offered to cover one year of data protection that includes dark web monitoring as well as identity theft insurance.” That’s it? If I was Canadian I’d want to see execs going to jail and or their contract yanked. If they switched over to using a webapp or chromeos on the desktop things would probably be much more secure. But that’s not going to happen, cuz it’s owned by t…
Does anyone know what “dark web monitoring” actually involves, and what sorts of firms provide this kind of service?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There's something in this story that doesn't ring true. You knew from the moment you walked into the laboratory that their data handling practices were inadequate and prone to being hacked/leaked. How? You tried to explain this to their secretaries and nurses. Why bother when it's obvious they can't/won't do anything about it? Why not contacting their management or IT?
To be fair to life labs, at least they don’t dox you aloud to an entire waiting room. I witnessed that happen to a few prominent financiers in Toronto while I was getting some bloodwork done. It was terrifying within about 5 minutes I had all the personal information I’d need to do some seriously nefarious things. This happens on most every occasion I visit a clinic in Canada. Nurses and secretaries do not care.
If you don’t live in Canada, you might not know that LifeLabs has a virtual monopoly on the lab business. If your doctor wants you to take a blood test, you go to LifeLabs. Whomever broke into their systems knows a great deal about the private health information of a large fraction of Canadians.
In the US this title seems to be held by Quest diagnostics.
If you don’t live in Canada, you might not know that LifeLabs has a virtual monopoly on the lab business. If your doctor wants you to take a blood test, you go to LifeLabs. Whomever broke into their systems knows a great deal about the private health information of a large fraction of Canadians.
In the US this title seems to be held by Quest diagnostics.
“For customers who are concerned, LifeLabs has offered to cover one year of data protection that includes dark web monitoring as well as identity theft insurance.” That’s it? If I was Canadian I’d want to see execs going to jail and or their contract yanked. If they switched over to using a webapp or chromeos on the desktop things would probably be much more secure. But that’s not going to happen, cuz it’s owned by t…
Just a few months ago I had to take a series of tests with LifeLabs (blood, urine, physical, etc) to update my immigration papers. Did you know you cannot choose where to take these tests? You are more or less forced to use LifeLabs because the doctors designated by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) only partner with LifeLabs to do these tests, it’s an ugly monopoly that is impossible to fight a…
The other main option is Dynacare. Besides those two, who else is there? Both have built up convenient infrastructure where results are fed back into doctors' EHR systems.
I wouldn't be against more competition, but it seems that there are certain economies of scale that make bigger more efficient:
* https://healthydebate.ca/2015/02/topic/private-medical-labs-...
* https://toronto.citynews.ca/2017/12/22/lab-industry-need-ove...
Side note: LifeLabs is owned by the OMERS pension fund.
Just a few months ago I had to take a series of tests with LifeLabs (blood, urine, physical, etc) to update my immigration papers. Did you know you cannot choose where to take these tests? You are more or less forced to use LifeLabs because the doctors designated by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) only partner with LifeLabs to do these tests, it’s an ugly monopoly that is impossible to fight a…
“One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” —Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus
Yes yes I know Sisyphus is a metaphor for the pointlessness of life - but that doesn't mean you have to take it at face value.
Just a few months ago I had to take a series of tests with LifeLabs (blood, urine, physical, etc) to update my immigration papers. Did you know you cannot choose where to take these tests? You are more or less forced to use LifeLabs because the doctors designated by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) only partner with LifeLabs to do these tests, it’s an ugly monopoly that is impossible to fight a…
Welcome to the Canadian Healthcare system. It's free, but not without issue, even ignoring the long wait times and inability to get a doctor in most places in the country.
Did you know I'm not allowed to go get my blood tested privately, even if I pay for it? That I require a requisition from a doctor (which I don't have, so I have to go to a walk-in clinic and take up the time of a doctor who could care less what they are signing)? And that the results then get shared back with said doctor, who's discretion it is what data he shares with me? It's bizarre.
I often see Americans pointing to Canada's system as a shining example. I mean, sure, we don't have crushing medical debt, which is AWESOME. But our healthcare system has so many problems itself...