you believe a hospital gave out that information and that he was actually in said hospital? LOLOL.
Damn the US right is retarded lol
Yes, a journalist can call and ask, but under HIPAA the hospital is sharply limited in what it can confirm—especially regarding exact discharge timing. 
What hospitals can (and cannot) say
Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule’s facility-directory exception (45 CFR 164.510(a)):
• If someone asks about a patient by name, and the patient has not opted out of the directory, the hospital may generally confirm that the person is (or was) a patient, give a general location in the facility, and provide a one-word condition (e.g., good, fair, serious, critical, or “treated and released”). 
• HHS has confirmed that “treated and released” (or that the patient is no longer at the facility) can be disclosed as directory information about general condition/location. 
• However, the hospital cannot release the specific admission or discharge date/time, length of stay, diagnosis, procedures, prognosis, or destination after discharge without the patient’s authorization (or another permitted exception that rarely applies to media inquiries).
