GHC-SCW $3.5M Data Breach Class Action Settlement

Individuals who received a notice stating their personal or private health information may have been impacted by a data incident involving Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin could qualify to submit a claim for up to $5,000 from a class action settlement.

Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin agreed to pay $3.5 million to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging it failed to prevent a data breach on or about Jan. 24, 2024, which may have exposed the sensitive personal and health information of its members. The settlement has an estimated 533, 809 class members.

Who is eligible for a data breach payout?

Class members are individuals who reside in the United States and meet the following criteria:

• They received a notice of the data breach that occurred on or about Jan. 24, 2024, involving GHCSCW’s network systems.
• The GHCSCW data breach potentially impacted their personally identifiable information or protected health information.

How much is the class action settlement payment?

Class members have the following benefit options:

• Cash payment A - Documented losses: Individuals may claim up to $5,000 for documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of the data incident and not reimbursed by any other source. Eligible expenses may include unreimbursed fraud, fees for credit reports or monitoring and other expenses incurred between Jan. 24, 2024, and Jan. 20, 2026.
• Cash payment B - Alternate cash payment: Class members who do not submit a document losses claim may submit to receive a pro rata cash payment estimated to be $100. The settlement administrator will determine the final payment amount using the number of total valid claims.
• Medical data monitoring: All class members may elect to receive three years of CyEx Medical monitoring services, which includes one-bureau credit monitoring, dark web scanning, security freezing assistance, $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance with no deductible and access to fraud resolution agents.

How to claim a data breach class action rebate

To receive a settlement payment or medical monitoring, class members must submit a claim form by the Jan. 20, 2026, deadline. They can submit in two ways:

• File a claim online through the official settlement website.
• Print the PDF claim form to complete and mail to the settlement administrator

Settlement administrator's mailing address: GHCSCW Data Incident, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 5324 New York, NY 10150-5324

Required proof and claim information

• To submit a claim online or by mail, class members must provide the unique ID from their official settlement notice.
• To submit a documented loss claim, class members must provide supporting documentation that may include receipts or invoices for fees and services, bank or credit card statements showing unreimbursed fraudulent charges, police reports and other proof of identity theft or fraud traceable to the GHCSCW data breach.

Payout options

• Electronic payment (online claims only)
• Paper check mailed to address provided

$3.5 million data breach settlement fund

The $3,500,000 settlement fund covers:

• Settlement administration costs: To be determined
• Attorneys' fees: Up to $1,166,666.67
• Attorneys' expenses: To be presented to the court for approval at a later date
• Service awards to class representatives: $2,500 each
• Medical data monitoring: Cost determined by the number of claims filed
• Payments to approved claimants: Remaining settlement funds

Important dates

• Deadline to opt out: Jan. 5, 2026
• Deadline to file a claim: Jan. 20, 2026
• Final approval hearing: Feb. 4, 2026

When is the GHC-SCW data breach settlement payout date?

The settlement administrator will issue payments to approved claimants approximately 75 days after the judge grants final approval of the settlement, as long as there are no appeals.

Why did this class action settlement happen?

The class action lawsuit alleged GHC-SCW failed to prevent a data breach that compromised the personal and health information of its members. The plaintiffs claimed negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment.

GHCSCW denied all wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid the uncertainties and expense of litigation.

Sources

1. Official class notice
2. Official settlement website FAQ page
3. Claim form