CVS Health is facing a lawsuit for revealing the HIV status of 6,000 patients in Ohio, according to news reports.
The complaint, which was filed March 21 in federal court in Ohio, claims that CVS mailed letters last year that showed the HIV status of participants in the state’s HIV drug assistance program (OhDAP) through the envelopes’ glassine window just above their name and address. Fiserv, the company that provided the envelopes, is also named on the complaint. Inside the envelopes were letters that included new benefits cards and information about a mail prescription program.
The companies are being sued by 3 unidentified plaintiffs who are seeking a class-action suit and a jury trial. One person described living in a small town where “everyone knows everyone” and said he had experienced significant distress from the disclosure.
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The three plaintiffs live in different counties in Ohio but are clients of OhDAP, which has had a contract with CVS since March 2017. Per terms of the contract, CVS provides the program’s clients with HIV medications and is responsible for communication regarding those medications.
According to the plaintiffs’ attorneys, CVS failed to disclose the breach of privacy data and did not contact the patients whose status was revealed in the envelopes.
References
- Clark M. CVS reveals HIV status of 6,000 customers, according to lawsuit: report. NOLA. April 2 2018. Accessible at: http://www.nola.com/health/index.ssf/2018/04/cvs_hiv_status_lawsuit.html
- Faul A. CVS Health unintentionally revealed HIV status of 6,000 customers: lawsuit. Accessible at: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/cvs-health-unintentionally-revealed-hiv-status-6000-customers/story?id=54095674
- Hassan C. Lawsuit claims CVS unintentionally revealed HIV status of 6,000 customers. CNN. April 1 2018. Accessible at: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/01/health/cvs-lawsuit-hiv-status-customers/index.html
