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A US-based healthcare firm has agreed to pay millions of dollars in settlement over a data breach that impacted 2,382,578 people.
According to the settlement administrator’s portal, Shields Health Group will hand out approximately $15.35 million to settle a class action lawsuit that was filed after unauthorized actors gained access to the healthcare firm’s network and viewed or took files containing the personal information of millions between March 7th and March 21st of 2022.
There are various categories of settlement benefits, per the settlement administrator’s portal. In the most generous category, settlement class members will receive up to $25,000 if they incurred documented “extraordinary losses” and used “extraordinary attested time” to address losses arising directly from the data breach.
The settlement class members who suffered documented out-of-pocket losses from the data breach stand to receive up to $2,500. Time spent addressing the data breach will also be reimbursed at a rate of $30 per hour and capped at a total of $2,500 maximum. To claim, documentation proving the expenses incurred or the time spent addressing the data breach will be required in both instances.
There will also be a cash payment of $50 that will be provided to the class members without requiring any documentation.
The final approval hearing for the settlement will be held on December 16th. Claims must be filed by December 3rd.
Despite Shields Health Group agreeing to settle, the Massachusetts-based healthcare firm denies the claims and allegations made in the lawsuit over the data breach that occurred more than three years ago.
