Jessy Edwards  |  August 18, 2022

Category: Data Breach

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Close up of "Novant Health" Urgent Care facility's exterior facade brand and logo signage on a sunny day with clear blue sky.
(Photo Credit: Bruce VanLoon/Shutterstock)

Novant Health data breach overview:

  • Who: Novant Health warned its patients about a potential data breach.
  • Why: The network says patients’ private health information may have been improperly given to Facebook parent company Meta through a tracking tool linked to Facebook.
  • Where: The Novant Health  breach occurred nationwide in the United States.

Novant Health Inc. sent 1.3 million notification letters to patients warning them that their private health information may have been improperly given to Facebook parent company Meta through a tracking tool linked to Facebook.

On Aug. 12. Novant Health, a nonprofit health network of physician clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals, said the tracking tool may have allowed certain private information to be transmitted to Meta.

Novant said the tracking involved the use of a Facebook-related pixel, which was “configured incorrectly.” The issue saw private information from the Novant Health website and MyChart portal sent to Meta.

The disclosed information could include the patient’s demographic information, such as email address, phone number, computer IP address, emergency contacts, advanced care planning, appointment type and date and information typed into boxes, according to Novant. 

Novant says the disclosure did not affect patients’ Social Security numbers or other financial information “unless it was typed into a free text box by the user.”

Some patients receiving the notification letter will be patients of independent physicians and facilities who use MyChart, the network says.

Novant Health data breach caused by new promo campaign, company says

Novant Health says it launched a promotional campaign in 2020 to connect more patients to the Novant Health MyChart patient portal with the goals of improving access to care through virtual visits.

This campaign involved Facebook advertisements and a Meta tracking pixel placed on the Novant Health website to help understand the success of those advertisement efforts on Facebook. 

However, the pixel was configured incorrectly and may have allowed certain private information to be transmitted to Meta from the Novant Health website and MyChart portal, Novant says.

Immediately upon becoming aware that the pixel had the capability to transmit unintended information to Meta, Novant Health disabled and removed the pixel as a precaution and began an investigation to learn whether, and to what extent, information was transmitted, it says. 

The patient letters will specifically state whether financial information may have been involved, Novant claims.

It says the letter is part of an outreach effort “to be as transparent as possible” about the disclosure. 

In related data breach news, in July, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Treasury Department and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned that North Korean groups have been responsible for multiple health care data breaches, according to a joint alert.

Also in July, Professional Finance Company disclosed to the public that it was the victim of a cybersecurity breach in February that exposed the data of more than 650 health care providers.

If your information was compromised as a result of a hospital data breach, you may qualify for a health care data breach class action lawsuit claim review.


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12 thoughts onNovant Health data breach exposes protected patient information

  1. Jill McWilliams says:

    Has anyone heard anything? I obtained legal counsel back in August of 2022 bit haven’t received any information about what’s going on or that we’re only getting $1 or something. With 1.3 million people affected, we’ll be lucky to get that.

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