$1.45 Million Settlement Resolves DC Health Link Data Breach Lawsuit

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

District of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX), also known as DC Health Link, has agreed to pay a $1,450,000 settlement to resolve a proposed class action lawsuit filed over a data breach that may have impacted as many as 254,388 individuals, including members of Congress, their staff and their families.

Don’t miss the next class action settlement deadline. Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter.

The data breach settlement covers anyone residing in the United States who was sent notice by DC Health Link that their private information was potentially accessible or known to be compromised by the data incident discovered on or about March 6, 2023.

The official website for the deal can be found at DCHBXSettlement.com.

Only class members who submit a valid claim form online or by mail by the March 28, 2025 deadline will be eligible to receive a DC Health Link settlement payout.

To file a claim form online, head to this page. You will need to provide the unique ID and PIN found on the personalized settlement notice you should have received. Contact the settlement administrator if you cannot locate your unique ID and PIN.

You can alternatively download a PDF claim form to print and return by mail.

Class members whose personal information was breached and exposed by cybercriminals on a public forum are instructed to fill out a Group 1 claim form. Class members whose information may have been breached but was not found publicly posted and there is no other evidence of compromise or exposure are instructed to fill out a Group 2 claim form.

Related Reading: Class Action Says DC Health Link Data Breach Impacted Members of Congress, Thousands of Consumers

As part of the settlement, eligible individuals can receive reimbursement for documented monetary losses fairly traceable to the DC Health Link data breach, including the costs of mitigating its effects. Group 2 class members may claim up to $2,500 in documented losses. Group 1 class members may claim up to $10,000 in documented losses, including “extraordinary losses” such as unreimbursed identity theft charges and falsified tax returns.

Alternatively, covered individuals can opt for a pro-rated cash payment. Group 1 cash payments will be three times the amount of Group 2 cash payments. Payments will be calculated based on the amount of money left in the settlement fund after attorneys’ fees, administration expenses, the costs of credit monitoring services and documented losses are paid out.

All class members are eligible to also claim one year of free credit monitoring and identity protection services if they have not already enrolled in the credit monitoring services previously offered by DC Health Link.

The DC Health Link class action settlement was preliminarily approved by the court on November 13, 2024. It is now up to the court to determine whether it will grant final approval to the deal at a hearing scheduled for February 21, 2025.

“If the Court approves the Settlement, eligible Settlement Class Members whose claims were approved by the Settlement Administrator will be sent payment after all appeals and other reviews, if any, are completed,” the settlement site says. “Please be patient.”

An initial class action lawsuit filed against DC Health Link claimed that the health insurance marketplace for D.C. residents was negligent in protecting consumers’ private information, which is now allegedly in the hands of thieves.

Head to ClassAction.org’s settlements page for a complete list of data breach settlements.