Is EHCSettlement.com Legit? Essen Medical Settlement

EHCSettlement.com is the legitimate official claims website for a $4 million class action settlement with Essen Medical Associates, P.C. (Essen Health Care) over a March 2023 data breach that exposed the personal and medical information of roughly 907,000 patients.¹ If you received a mailed notice, you can file for up to $100 in cash with no proof required, or up to $5,000 with documentation of losses tied to the breach. Claims are due June 1, 2026.²

Why the Site Exists

Between March 14 and March 22, 2023, unauthorized parties accessed Essen Medical Associates’ computer network. The breach compromised names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license and passport numbers, financial account information, medical treatment records, and health insurance details.¹ Essen began mailing notification letters on May 16, 2023 and offered 12 months of free Experian credit monitoring.³

Multiple lawsuits followed and were consolidated as Rivera et al. v. Essen Medical Associates, P.C., No. 801239/2024E, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Bronx County. The plaintiffs alleged Essen failed to implement adequate cybersecurity protections; Essen denies any wrongdoing or liability.⁴ The court granted preliminary approval of the settlement on January 27, 2026, and notice was mailed to class members on March 3, 2026.²

Who Qualifies

The settlement class includes all U.S. residents whose personal information was potentially compromised in the breach and who received a notification letter from Essen by mail. If you got the postcard with a unique ID and PIN, you are in the class unless you already opted out. Essen’s officers, the presiding judges and their families, and anyone who submitted a valid opt-out by the May 4, 2026 deadline are excluded.⁵

What You Can Claim

The $4 million fund is non-reversionary, meaning it will be paid out rather than returned to Essen.⁶ Eligible class members can file for one or both of two payments.

A flat cash payment of up to $100 is available with no proof of harm required. The actual amount depends on how many people file; if claims are high, the per-person payout shrinks proportionally.

Reimbursement for documented losses is available up to $5,000. Covered expenses include unreimbursed fraud charges, identity theft recovery fees, credit freeze costs, and lost interest from delayed tax refunds, and you’ll need to submit documentation such as bank statements, receipts, or invoices.

You can file for both, but there’s a catch worth understanding: if documented-loss claims exhaust the net fund after pro rata reductions, the no-proof cash payments may not be distributed at all.⁶ The settlement itself does not appear to include credit monitoring; the 12-month Experian offer was made separately in 2023.³

How to File

You can file online or by mail. Online, go to EHCSettlement.com and enter the unique ID and PIN printed on your postcard notice. By mail, download the PDF claim form from the settlement website and send it to the claims administrator.² The deadline for both methods is June 1, 2026.

Epiq is the claims administrator handling validation and payment. Epiq may contact you for additional documentation, and missing that request will invalidate your claim.⁵ Reach the administrator at 1-888-976-6880 or:

Essen Medical Data Breach Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 2020
Portland, OR 97208-2020

When Payments Go Out

The final approval hearing is set for July 7, 2026, at 2:15 p.m. at the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Bronx County. No payments will be issued until the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. If the settlement is approved and no appeal is filed, the administrator will distribute payments after deducting court-approved attorneys’ fees and service awards from the fund.⁵ The exclusion and objection deadline of May 4, 2026 has already passed, so if you did nothing before then and you’re in the class, filing a claim is the remaining step.²

1
HIPAA Journal. Essen Medical Associates Data Breach Settlement
2
EHCSettlement.com. Essen Medical Data Breach Settlement
3
Montana Department of Justice. Essen Medical Associates Consumer Notification Letter
4
ClassAction.org. Essen Health Care Long Notice
5
EHCSettlement.com. Essen Medical Data Breach Settlement FAQ
6
ClassAction.org. $4M Essen Health Care Settlement Ends Class Action Lawsuit Over March 2023 Data Breach