The 4th District Court of Appeals in California has ruled Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., is not liable for a data breach involving approximately 500,000 patients.
In March 2011, a computer was stolen from the hospital. The computer had patients' names, medical record numbers, ages, dates of birth and the last four digits of each person's Social Security number. Some affected patients filed a putative class action suit against the hospital, seeking damages of $1,000 each under the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act.
The appellate court ruled the hospital is not liable for the data breach as it didn't affect pertinent medical information of the patients.
"We conclude that under the CMIA a prohibited release by a healthcare provider must include more than individually identifiable information but must also include information relating to medical history, mental or physical condition, or treatment of the individual," according to the court's ruling.
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