HHS OCR report · 2018
Massachusetts General Hospital data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- Massachusetts
- Individuals affected
- 588
- Submission date
- Dec 14, 2018
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Paper/Films
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
Due to an error during a mail merge, a business associate (BA) sent letters to patients’ home addresses with the wrong patients’ names on them, causing the protected health information (PHI) of 580 patients to be disclosed to other patients. This letter notified patients that their doctor at the covered entity (CE), Massachusetts General Hospital, was retiring and included patients’ names. The CE provided breach notification to HHS and affected individuals. Following the breach, the CE retrai...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Other reports by Massachusetts General Hospital
| Covered entity | State | Entity type | Individuals | Submitted | Type of breach | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts General Hospital | MA | Healthcare Provider | 9,900 | Aug 22, 2019 | Hacking/IT Incident | Archive (closed) |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | MA | Healthcare Provider | 4,293 | Jun 29, 2016 | Hacking/IT Incident | Archive (closed) |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | MA | Healthcare Provider | 648 | Jul 8, 2015 | Unauthorized Access/Disclosure | Archive (closed) |
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Massachusetts General Hospital data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 588 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Dec 14, 2018.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Unauthorized Access/Disclosure, with the breached information located in: Paper/Films.
Is the investigation still open?
No. The report is in the OCR portal archive, which holds reports where OCR has closed its review.
Is a breach notice letter from Massachusetts General Hospital legitimate?
This site cannot verify letters. Check the sender against the organisation's official website and the HHS OCR breach portal, and avoid calling numbers or clicking links only listed in an unexpected message. See our guide on what to do after a data breach notice.
Source: HHS OCR Breach Portal, OCR export October 2026. Network USA is not affiliated with HHS or Massachusetts General Hospital.