Transformative Healthcare Hit with Class Action Over 2023 Data Breach Affecting 911K Fallon Ambulance Service Patients

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Transformative Healthcare faces a proposed class action after a 2023 data breach reportedly exposed the personal information of more than 911,000 individuals who received emergency medical transport services from its now-defunct subsidiary, Fallon Ambulance Service.

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According to the 34-page lawsuit, Transformative Healthcare began informing affected individuals in December of last year that an unauthorized actor had gained access to Fallon’s data storage archive between February 27 and April 22, 2023. The case claims that the cyberattack compromised patients’ names, sensitive health information and Social Security numbers.

Also named as a defendant in the suit is Coastal Medical Transportation Systems (CMTS), which acquired Fallon in September 2022. Prior to the acquisition, Fallon responded to thousands of patient emergencies in the greater Boston area, the complaint relays.

The lawsuit argues that the incident stemmed from the defendants’ failure to properly secure patients’ private data from unauthorized access, which has exposed them to a lifelong risk of identity theft and fraud.

“In the months and years following the data breach, [the plaintiff] and the other class members will experience a slew of harms because of [the defendants’] ineffective data security measures,” the filing says. “Some of these harms will include fraudulent charges, medical procedures ordered in patients’ names without their permission, targeted advertising without patient consent, and emotional distress.”

Per the suit, the data breach could have been prevented or mitigated had Transformative Healthcare and CMTS fulfilled their obligations under HIPAA, common law, industry standards and their own representations to protect patients’ private health data from exposure. To add insult to injury, the defendants “knew or should have known” that cybercriminals would target their network in light of recent, well-publicized attacks within the healthcare industry and “repeated public warnings” about the threat of data breaches, the complaint contends.

The plaintiff, a Boston resident who received emergency medical services from Fallon before it ceased operations, says he received a data breach notice from Transformative Healthcare around December 27, 2023, more than eight months after it claimed to have detected the incident. Per the case, Transformative Healthcare’s failure to timely notify victims prevented them from taking steps to mitigate any associated risks or harm.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone who received a data breach notice from Transformative Healthcare in or around December 2023.

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