AMERICANS can pocket up to $35,000 from a $16 million data breach settlement – but they must submit their claim form by tomorrow.
The money is being handed out by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to settle claims that it failed to prevent a data breach in 2023.
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Harvard Pilgrim is a non-profit health services company offering health plans to individuals and employers in the New England region.
Its parent company is Point32Health, which was formed after Harvard Pilgrim’s merger with Tufts Health Plan in 2021.
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care agreed to a $16 million class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims about a data breach that reportedly took place on April 17, 2023.
The breach allegedly compromised sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, health insurance account information and medical histories.
Harvard Pilgrim has not admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to a $16 million class action settlement to resolve the allegations.
Those affected can claim up to $2,500 for out-of-pocket expenses related to the data breach, including bank fees, credit expenses, credit monitoring costs, communication charges, mileage and more.
Class members can also claim up to seven hours of lost time at a rate of $30 per hour.
However, far greater claims can also be made.
Up to $35,000 can be claimed by class members who experienced extraordinary losses as a result of the data breach.
These individuals can also claim up to 20 hours of lost time at a rate of $30 per hour.
Those who do not file a claim for out-of-pocket losses or lost time can receive a cash payout of $150.
All class members can get three years of free credit monitoring services, including dark web scanning, identity theft insurance and access to fraud resolution agents.
The deadline for submitting a valid claim form is August 25.
The final approval hearing for the settlement was scheduled for July 28.
The deadline for exclusion and objection was June 27.
To claim the benefits, class members must submit documents as proof of the costs they incurred.
Meanwhile, millions of Americans are set to receive extra cash in their mailboxes, with new stimulus-style checks worth up to $1,500 rolling out.
These payments are part of New York’s School Tax Relief (STAR) program, which helps ease the burden of property taxes for homeowners.
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