$4M Essen Health Care Settlement Ends Class Action Lawsuit Over March 2023 Data Breach

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Essen Medical Associates, doing business as Essen Health Care, has agreed to a $4,000,000 settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that alleged the healthcare provider failed to protect the private information of its patients from a March 2023 data breach.

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The $4 million Essen Health Care class action settlement received preliminary approval from the court on January 8, 2026 and covers all United States residents whose personal information was potentially compromised in the March 2023 data breach and who were sent a mailed notice from Essen reporting that their information may have been impacted.

Court documents estimate that approximately 907,782 current and former patients were affected by the Essen data breach.

The court-approved website for the Essen Health settlement can be found at EHCSettlement.com.

According to the settlement site, Essen Health settlement class members who submit a timely, valid claim form have two options for reimbursement, and may claim one or both cash payments.

Class members who submit a claim form with proof of documented losses stemming from the data breach are eligible to receive a one-time cash payment of up to $5,000. If the value of all approved documented loss claims exceeds the amount remaining in the settlement fund, the agreement reports that documented-loss payments may be subject to a pro rata (equal share) reduction.

The settlement site explains that all claims for documented losses must be accompanied by supporting documentation such as credit card statements, bank statements, invoices, telephone records, and receipts to reimburse expenses related to fraud, identity theft or the misuse of a class member’s personal information.

Additionally, all settlement class members may also submit a claim form to receive a pro-rated cash fund payment of up to $100 with no proof required. The final amount of this payment, the agreement reports, will be determined based on the total number of valid claims filed and what remains in the net settlement fund after the payment of attorneys’ fees, administration costs, lead plaintiff service awards and documented-loss payments.

The agreement notes that if the aggregate value of all documented-loss payments exceeds the amount remaining in the net settlement fund after pro-rated reductions, the cash fund payment may not be paid out to class members.

Class members may receive their payout via check or electronic payment, and the agreement states that all checks must be cashed within 90 days of issuance before expiration.

To submit an Essen Health claim form online, class members can head to this page and enter the unique ID and PIN as found on their received copy of the settlement notice. Alternatively, class members can download a PDF claim form to print, complete and return by mail to the address of the settlement administrator listed on the first page of the document.

All Essen Health claim forms must be submitted online or postmarked no later than June 1, 2026.

In addition to monetary benefits, the agreement states that Essen Health will improve its cybersecurity procedures to mitigate the risk of a future data breach to be paid separate from the settlement fund.

The court will determine whether to grant the Essen Health settlement final approval following a hearing on July 7, 2026. Compensation will begin to be distributed to class members only after final approval has been granted and any appeals have been resolved.

The Essen Health Care class action lawsuit alleged that the New York-based healthcare system failed to implement reasonable cybersecurity measures to prevent a data breach in March 2023. According to the suit, the private information that may have been compromised in the breach includes full names, driver’s license and state identification numbers, passport numbers, dates of birth, diagnoses, financial account information, health insurance information and medical information.

Did you know that some class action settlements require no proof to submit a claim? Check out the latest class action settlements.