DARLINGTON -Hospital officials say an outside vendor is responsible for a potential breach of patient health information after an unspecified number of old financial statements for Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County patients - some statements dating back 12 years - were mailed to third parties.
The hospital contracts with an outside vendor to generate patient billing statements. "Due to an erroneous setting in the vendor's system, the system generated a number of 'zero balance' or 'aged account balance' statements relating to care provided at the hospital since 2001," the hospital said in a posting on its website dated Friday, Oct. 4.
The statements were sent to the person responsible for the bill, at that person's last known address. Some of the statements were sent to people who no longer live at the address specified, or are deceased.
The statements contained the patient's name and account number, dates of service, charges and the name and identification number for the account guarantor. The statements did not contain "sensitive or detailed information" and did not contain the Social Security number, date of birth and specific health conditions, the posting said.
The potential breach was discovered two months ago, on Aug. 6. Hospital officials said they "took immediate action and began investigating." The vendor has corrected the problem, the hospital said.
Anyone who received a mailing is asked to not open the document, and call the hospital so the document can be "retrieved and ensure appropriate disposal."
Anyone who believes his information may have been disclosed but did not receive written notice from the hospital should call (877) 615-3759.
The hospital said in the future, patients and guarantors will only receive account statements if there is a balance owed or if the balance was paid off since the last statement.
The hospital contracts with an outside vendor to generate patient billing statements. "Due to an erroneous setting in the vendor's system, the system generated a number of 'zero balance' or 'aged account balance' statements relating to care provided at the hospital since 2001," the hospital said in a posting on its website dated Friday, Oct. 4.
The statements were sent to the person responsible for the bill, at that person's last known address. Some of the statements were sent to people who no longer live at the address specified, or are deceased.
The statements contained the patient's name and account number, dates of service, charges and the name and identification number for the account guarantor. The statements did not contain "sensitive or detailed information" and did not contain the Social Security number, date of birth and specific health conditions, the posting said.
The potential breach was discovered two months ago, on Aug. 6. Hospital officials said they "took immediate action and began investigating." The vendor has corrected the problem, the hospital said.
Anyone who received a mailing is asked to not open the document, and call the hospital so the document can be "retrieved and ensure appropriate disposal."
Anyone who believes his information may have been disclosed but did not receive written notice from the hospital should call (877) 615-3759.
The hospital said in the future, patients and guarantors will only receive account statements if there is a balance owed or if the balance was paid off since the last statement.