Columbia University Irving Medical Center pays $600K in data breach lawsuit settlement

Columbia University Irving Medical Center has agreed to a $600,000 settlement stemming from a data breach that was logged in May 2024. The incident affected 29,629 patients whose names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, provider names, and a laboratory test result were exposed between 11 September 2023 and 7 March 2024 due to human error, and the breach was reported to HHS.

The Health and Human Services investigation noted that the PHI was posted on the Internet, the entity notified affected individuals and the media, and substitute notice was posted on the CUIMC website while staff received additional training. CUIMC denies any wrongdoing or liability, with the settlement allowing U.S. residents who were notified about the breach to file claims for up to $10,000 in documented losses and to receive two years of CyEx Medical Shield Complete monitoring.

The remainder of the fund will be used to provide cash payments to claimants after attorneys’ fees and other costs are deducted, according to Columbia Spectator.