Fresenius Medical Care Reports Theft of Medical Data of 500,000 Patients at Its US Subsidiary

Fresenius Medical Care, data theft. (photo: x @eric_weinhandl)

JAKARTA - Dialysis group Fresenius Medical Care announced on  Wednesday 6 December that data, including medical records, of 500,000 current and former patients had been stolen from its subsidiary's data warehouse in the United States.

"This incident may have affected approximately 500,000 patients, former patients, insurers, and 200 staff located in several states, US territories, and four countries," said a statement from the German company.

The company said it had begun an investigation with the help of a forensics firm after its subsidiary, Cardiovascular Consultants Ltd, on September 29 became aware of a security incident affecting some of its computer systems in the US and someone who stole the data claimed to have logged in.

"The investigation has determined that certain systems were accessed and data was encrypted and stolen by unauthorized parties," the statement added.

Fresenius Medical stated that they do not expect this incident to have a material impact on their finances and operations, but the potential for future lawsuits and reputational damage must be considered.