Change Healthcare faces multiple class actions over data breach

Change Healthcare data breach class action lawsuits overview: 

• Who: Consumers hit Change Healthcare Inc. with multiple class actions over a February data breach. 
• Why: The plaintiffs claim Change Healthcare failed to protect their private information.  
• Where: The class action lawsuits were filed in Tennessee and California federal courts. 

Change Healthcare bears responsibility for a February data breach that exposed the personally identifiable and protected health information of consumers, a trio of new class action lawsuits alleges. 

The class action lawsuits claim Change Healthcare failed to prevent the cyberattack, which it attributes to the ransomware gang ALPHV/BlackCat. 

Consumers argue the data breach puts them at risk of identity theft and claim the incident would not have happened if not for Change Healthcare’s negligence. 

“Plaintiff’s and Class Members’ identities are now at risk because of Defendant’s negligent conduct because the Private Information that Defendant collected and maintained is now in the hands of data thieves,” one of the class action lawsuits states. 

The consumers want to represent a nationwide class of individuals whose private information was compromised in the data breach, with one complaint including an Illinois subclass and another including a Florida subclass. 

Change Healthcare had duty to protect private data, class actions say

The plaintiffs argue Change Healthcare failed to place adequate safeguards to protect their private data from the cyberattack despite having a “duty” to do so. 

“The Data Breach was a direct result of Defendant’s failure to implement adequate and reasonable cybersecurity procedures and protocols necessary to protect patients’ Private Information from a foreseeable and preventable cyberattack,” one of the class action lawsuits states. 

The class action lawsuits claim Change Healthcare is guilty of unjust enrichment, breach of implied contract, negligence and negligence per se, along with violations of laws in the states of Florida, Illinois and California. 

The plaintiffs demand a jury trial and request declaratory and injunctive relief and awards of actual, compensatory, statutory, punitive, nominal and consequential damages for themselves and all class members. 

In addition to exposing consumer information, the Change Healthcare cyberattack disrupted pharmacy and health system operations nationwide. 

Were you affected by the Change Healthcare data breach? Let us know in the comments.

The Change Healthcare data breach class action lawsuits are Allen, et al. v. Change Healthcare Inc., Case No. 3:24-cv-00263, and Lemke, et al. v. Change Healthcare Inc., et al., Case No. 3:24-cv-00302, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee and 

Medina, et al. v. Change Healthcare Inc., Case No. 2:24-at-00293, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. 

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Roku data breach impacts 15,000+ customers
• Russian data breach of Microsoft continues
• Fidelity data breach affects 28,000+ customers
• American Express data breach exposes customer names, card numbers, more