Canadian privacy & access decisions

An individual complained that her dental clinic disclosed information about her overdue account to the person who had referred her to the clinic. The complainant had been in hospital and respite care, missing invoices. The clinic, seeking her whereabouts, disclosed to the referrer that her bill was overdue, the amount owing, and that it would go to collections. The clinic acknowledged this violated its privacy policy, stating it should have only requested contact information. During the investigation, the clinic and complainant reached a monetary settlement, including an apology letter. The OPC and complainant agreed the matter was settled.

• Whether the dental clinic disclosed personal information without consent
• Whether the disclosure of overdue bill details, amount owing, and collection threat to a third party was appropriate
• Whether the clinic's actions violated its own privacy policy