Med-Data data breach $7M class action settlement

Med-Data agreed to a $7 million settlement to resolve claims that one of its employees publicly posted patient information on GitHub in 2018 and 2019.

The settlement benefits individuals whose personal information was posted on GitHub.com by a Med-Data employee as announced by Med-Data in March 2021.

A Med-Data employee allegedly posted sensitive patient information on the public-facing portion of GitHub between December 2018 and September 2019. Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit claim Med-Data failed to adequately protect this information and failed to timely inform patients that their information was compromised. 

Med-Data is a third-party vendor used by healthcare systems and hospitals for various services such as billing and Medicaid eligibility. 

Med-Data hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to a $7 million settlement to resolve the data breach class action lawsuit.

Under the terms of the settlement, class members can receive one of two tiers of benefits.

Tier 1 includes up to $5,000 for documented, unreimbursed losses related to the data breach. Class members can claim losses related to financial fraud, medical fraud or identity theft, expenses such as bank fees, credit costs and communication expenses, and up to five hours of lost time compensated at a rate of $25 per hour.

Tier 2 includes an alternate payment of up to $500 for actions taken in response to the data breach. This can include changing account passwords, monitoring credit reports, and signing up for credit monitoring. Cash payments may be reduced from $500 depending on the number of claims filed and the amount remaining in the settlement fund after tier 1 and 3 claims are paid. 

All class members are eligible to receive Tier 3 benefits in the form of three years of health data and fraud monitoring services through Medical Shield Premium. This service includes up to $1 million in identity theft protection through Pango.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is April 26, 2024.

The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2024.

In order to receive a settlement payment, class members must submit a valid claim form by May 21, 2024.

Who’s Eligible

Individuals whose personal information was posted on GitHub.com by a Med-Data employee as announced by Med-Data in March 2021

Potential Award

$5,000

Proof of Purchase

Bills, invoices, account statements, receipts, credit reports and other documentation of data breach-related expenses

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

05/21/2024

Case Name

M.S., et al. v. Med-Data Inc., Case No. 4:22-cv-00187, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Final Hearing

09/11/2024

Settlement Website

MedDataSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Med-Data Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 341
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
info@MedDataSettlement.com
844-930-2009

Class Counsel

Beth E Terrell
Ryan Tack-Hooper
TERRELL MARSHALL LAW GROUP

Jean Martin
MORGAN & MORGAN

Maureen Brady
MCSHANE BRADY

William B Federman
FEDERMAN & SHERWOOD

John Heenan
HEENAN & COOK

Defense Counsel

Ralph H Palumbo
PALUMBO LAW

Lynn M Engel
ARETE LAW GROUP PLLC