PORTLAND (WGME) — Halloween can sometimes conjure up frightening images of the dead coming back to life but imagine getting a letter informing you that you had died, when in fact, you hadn’t.
That happened Thursday to a woman from Sanford when she opened a letter from MaineHealth.
She is one of hundreds of Mainers who got these letters.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, showed CBS13 the letter she received from MaineHealth informing her that she had died, when she’s still very much alive.
The letter from MaineHealth Patient Financial Services starts by extending their condolences to the woman’s family on her passing.
“It was pretty upsetting to open that,” the woman said. “Why would they say I was dead? So it was really shocking and upsetting.”
She’s worried about the problems it could cause if MaineHealth actually reported her death.
She called Patient Financial Services to let them know she’s still alive and to try to get more information.
“He said he was aware of the issue, and that they were going to send out apology letters, not letter, so I’m thinking there’s other people,” the woman said. “And he’s like, ‘I’m glad to hear that you’re still alive and well.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, me too.’ And then that was the end of the conversation.”
MaineHealth released a statement on the incident, saying on October 20, “An error in MaineHealth’s computer system led to it accidentally send letters to 531 patients indicating they were deceased, while providing information about resolving their estate.”
MaineHealth also says at no time were these patients listed as deceased.
The woman says she does have an outstanding bill from MaineHealth.
The rest of the letter was about MaineHealth trying to collect from the woman’s estate, even though she’s still alive.
“I mean, I’ve had some tests done and my doctor is part of MaineHealth,” the woman said. “But I haven’t even been in the hospital for anything serious that I could have died from. So I don’t even know where they got that information.”
MaineHealth officials say they sincerely regret this error and have sent apology letters to all patients who have been affected.