More than 500 Maine residents were informed they had died in letters that MaineHealth, the state’s largest health care provider, sent by mistake due to a computer system error.
The letters were sent on Oct. 20 to 531 living patients, saying they were dead and providing instructions to their next of kin, MaineHealth told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. Officials said the mistake was due to a software malfunction.
“MaineHealth sincerely regrets this error,” the provider said.
According to MaineHealth, the patients who received the letters were not listed as deceased in their medical records, and the error did not affect their care or status within the MaineCare system.
Officials said that the issue was resolved and that apology letters were sent to all affected patients, who, despite what the letters said, were alive.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maine residents receive death notices despite being alive
