Sonic Healthcare U.S.A., Aurora Diagnostics LLC, Clinical Pathology Laboratories Inc. and Austin Pathology Associates agreed to a $6,438,578.20 fund to resolve the "Other Labs Track" of American Medical Collection Agency breach litigation. The companies deny liability, according to the HIPAA Journal settlement report.
American Medical Collection Agency, or AMCA, operated a web payment system used for medical billing. HIPAAzone reports attackers accessed that system from Aug. 1, 2018 to March 30, 2019. The intrusion exposed names, contact information, IDs, billing records, and financial and payment data.
Official resources:
- Explore the official data from Classactiontracker — Use this primary source to review the underlying data.
- Explore the official data from Hipaa — Use this primary source to review the underlying data.
Table of Contents
- Who can file a claim?
- What benefits are available?
- When must you act?
- Why is this settlement so narrow?
Who can file a claim?
The lawsuit is In re: American Medical Collection Agency, Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, No. 19-md-2904, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
ClassActionTracker states only people notified by Clinical Pathology Laboratories, Austin Pathology Associates, or AMCA on their behalf qualify, as described in the ClassActionTracker settlement notice. This is not a settlement for every AMCA victim. InfoRiskToday reported the wider AMCA incident touched more than 21 companies and at least 24 million people. This fund covers the Clinical Pathology Laboratories and Austin Pathology Associates group only.
- You were notified that your information was or may have been involved.
- The notice came from Clinical Pathology Laboratories or Austin Pathology Associates.
- The notice came from AMCA acting for one of those labs.
What benefits are available?
Claimants may choose an estimated $50 cash payment or reimbursement up to $5,000 for documented unreimbursed losses. The reimbursement covers out-of-pocket costs and up to 10 hours of time at $25 per hour. The settlement also offers two years of CyEx Medical Shield Pro monitoring, according to the HIPAAzone settlement breakdown.
Save bank statements, bills, receipts, and records of calls or letters. The same HIPAAzone breakdown notes the $6.4 million also pays attorneys' fees, administration and notice costs, and class-representative awards. That means individual cash amounts can shrink on a pro rata basis, or proportionally, if many people file valid claims.
When must you act?
Claims close Jan. 4, 2027, online or by postmark. Opt-outs and objections are due Dec. 3, 2026. The final fairness hearing is Jan.
7, 2027 at 11 a.m. ET, according to the OpenClassActions deadline summary. A fairness hearing is the court review that decides whether to approve the deal. File before the claim deadline even if you plan to object. Keep a copy of your claim form and proof of mailing or online submission.
- Check whether your notice names Clinical Pathology Laboratories or Austin Pathology Associates.
- Choose the $50 payment or the documented-loss payment.
- Gather proof for any loss you list.
- File online or mail by Jan. 4, 2027.
Why is this settlement so narrow?
The AMCA failure was much larger than this payment group. InfoRiskToday called it the largest reported health-data breach of 2019. Many hospitals, labs, and collection accounts were affected through the same payment system.
Courts divided the litigation into tracks tied to different lab defendants. This track settles claims linked to Sonic Healthcare U.S.A., Aurora Diagnostics, Clinical Pathology Laboratories, and Austin Pathology Associates. If your notice names a different lab or provider, this fund does not apply to you.