Several hospitals and health systems across the U.S. are facing lawsuits regarding data breach incidents that involved patients' protected health information.
Here are lawsuits involving four health systems as reported by Becker's since June 27:
- Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is facing a lawsuit for a recent data theft incident that affected 171 hospitals across the U.S. and may have breached information of about 11 million patients. The lawsuit, filed by Gary Silvers and Richard Marous on July 12 in the Tennessee Middle District Court, alleges that the health system was negligent in safeguarding patients' protected health information.
- Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University and Health System are facing a patient-led lawsuit that alleges the health system failed to protect patients' health information when it was compromised due to a ransomware attack on a software vulnerability called MOVEit.
- Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems is facing another lawsuit over a January data breach that affected an estimated 1 million patients. Patient Dennis Ross filed the proposed class-action complaint June 26 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, claiming the health system showed a "reckless disregard" for data security and "breached their duty" to protect patients' personal and health information, including under HIPAA.
- A data breach lawsuit against Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network was sent back to court after the health system said most of the affected patients lived in Pennsylvania.