Hospital condolence letter error
A major health-system error has shaken confidence after hundreds of patients were erroneously notified of their own deaths. The private non-profit health network MaineHealth, which serves Maine and parts of New Hampshire, confirmed that 531 living patients received condolence letters addressed to their next of kin, wrongly stating that they had died.
According to the organisation, the incident took place around October 20, 2025, and resulted from a computer process error that generated estate vendor letters traditionally meant for deceased patients. The company stressed that none of the individuals were listed as deceased in their medical records at any time.
The letters sent extended condolences and included instructions on how next of kin should settle the purported deceased’s estate and outstanding bills. Recipients described the experience as “shocking and upsetting,” especially in cases where the person receiving the letter had not been hospitalised recently or was in seemingly good health.
MaineHealth issued a formal apology, stating it “sincerely regrets” the error and has sent correction letters to all affected individuals. The organisation indicated that the underlying cause has been addressed and normal operations have resumed.
While no patient records were inaccurately updated to show death, the emotional distress for those involved is clear, and the incident raises concerns about data integrity, oversight of automated processes, and the potential for serious downstream consequences (such as insurance or credit complications) if such errors were to go undetected.
