UnitedHealth, 2 Hospitals Launch Investigation After Thousands of Patients' Information Sent to Oregon Man

A Portland, Ore., man has received erroneous faxes containing thousands of patients' protected health information from hospitals in Wisconsin and South Carolina.

The first correspondence was sent from a fax number registered to Community Memorial Hospital located in Menomonee Falls, Wis., according to a WBCD-TV report. The fax contained patients' names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, the dates they were admitted to the hospital and whether they were still in the hospital.

"We take very seriously the privacy and personal information of our members," said Kevin Shermach, director of public relations at Community Memorial in a statement. The hospital has linked the data breach to United Healthcare, an insurance provider. 

Mr. Butler received subsequent faxes from a number registered to Roper Hospital located in Charleston, S.C. Roper Hospital said its IT department is working to find out how many times hospital officials sent the protected patient information to Mr. Butler. United Healthcare is also investigating this matter.

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