Industry - Data Breach
Executive Summary
Three patients filed a class action lawsuit against CareNow, an HCA Healthcare subsidiary operating urgent care centers in Middle Tennessee, alleging the company shared their personally identifiable information and protected health information with Google and third-party marketing firms without consent. The complaint claims CareNow used tracking technologies on its online appointment scheduling platform to transmit patient data to advertisers for profit. The lawsuit is part of a broader wave ...
What Happened
Three patients filed a class action lawsuit in Davidson County Circuit Court on June 11 against CareNow, an HCA Healthcare subsidiary operating over 20 urgent care centers in Middle Tennessee. The complaint alleges that CareNow used tracking technologies on its online appointment scheduling platform to transmit patients' personally identifiable information and protected health information to Google and third-party marketing and advertising companies without patient consent. The lawsuit claims this data sharing was done for the company's financial benefit.
Who Is Affected
Patients who scheduled appointments through CareNow's online platform in Middle Tennessee are affected, with their personal and health information allegedly shared with Google and third-party advertisers. The lawsuit was filed as a class action, suggesting potentially thousands of CareNow patients may have had their data transmitted without authorization. The complaint involves three named plaintiffs but seeks to represent a broader class of affected patients.
Why It Matters
This lawsuit is part of a broader wave of class action cases targeting healthcare corporations for unauthorized patient data sharing, indicating a pattern of alleged privacy violations across the healthcare industry. The case involves HCA Healthcare, the nation's largest for-profit hospital operator and Nashville's second-largest employer with 27,000 Middle Tennessee employees, meaning the allegations concern a major healthcare provider with significant reach. The use of tracking technologies to monetize patient health data raises fundamental questions about consent and the commercialization of sensitive medical information.
What You Should Do
If you scheduled appointments through CareNow's online platform, monitor the lawsuit's progress to determine if you qualify for the class action and potential remedies. Review your privacy settings and appointment scheduling practices with all healthcare providers, and consider calling to schedule appointments rather than using online platforms if you are concerned about tracking. Check your healthcare provider's privacy policies to understand what data collection and sharing practices they disclose, and ask directly about their use of third-party tracking technologies on patient portals.
Summary generated from verified sources and reviewed before publication. How we summarize.