Health Aid of Ohio has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that is going to resolve claims that it failed to protect sensitive consumer credentials in a data breach. Individuals who were sent a notice informing about the chances of compromise of their personal information in the February 2021 data breach will benefit from the settlement.
Settlement Website: HealthAidSettlement.com
Objection Deadline: 07/22/2022
Exclusion Deadline: 07/22/2022
Claim Form: https://www.healthaidsettlement.com/lang/en/submit-claim.php
Deadline For Submitting Claim Form: 08/22/2022
Final Hearing Date: 09/20/2022
Settlement Amount:
Potential Claim Amount: Up to $2500 and a year’s free credit monitoring and identity restoration services.
Proof Of Purchase: Copies of bank statements, receipts, reports, or other documentation in support of the claim.
Home equipment provider Health Aid of Ohio offers access to mobility aids and other equipment. The company revealed in May 2021 that it has fallen prey to a data breach that took place on 19th February 2021. According to the data breach notice, a third party gained unauthorized access to various files on the company’s systems. Which files were affected couldn’t be earmarked with a subsequent investigation; however, the notice mentioned that customer names, social security numbers, dates of birth, insurance information, medical diagnoses, telephone numbers, and similar information could have been compromised in the data breach. The chances of data compromise are high for consumers who received the services through a Veterans Affairs (VA) plan.
Some of the affected consumers took legal action against Health Aid of Ohio pointing out that the company failed to properly protect customer information with reasonable cybersecurity measures. The class-action lawsuit brought against Health Aid of Ohio includes claims of invasion of privacy, negligence, unjust enrichment, and more. Health Aid of Ohio has agreed to resolve these allegations though it hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing. Under the settlement terms, class members whose Social Security numbers were compromised are eligible to recover payments for lost time, out-of-pocket losses, and extraordinary losses.
If consumers incurred out-of-pocket expenses like fees and credit monitoring expenses, then they can get cash payments of up to $250 including up to four hours of lost time at an hourly rate of $15. On incurring extraordinary expenses from fraud, customers will be compensated with payments ranging up to $2500 for each class member. A year’s identity restoration and credit monitoring services will also be offered to all class members even if their social security number wasn’t compromised in the breach. Apart from the settlement benefits, Health Aid of Ohio has also agreed to put cybersecurity enhancements into place to safeguard customer information in a better manner. The company will undergo security risk assessments in 2022 and 2023 to understand the areas where the changes need to be made.