Arkansas hospital data breach settlement offers up to $4,000 per person

Patients of Baptist Health Medical Center-Drew County in Arkansas may be able to claim free credit monitoring and cash repayment after a data breach. A court has given early approval to a class action settlement. The most any one person can get back for proven fraud or identity theft losses is $4,000.

What happened

A hacker got into the hospital's computer systems in 2024 and took patient information. That included names, addresses, birth dates, diagnoses, treatment details and medical record numbers. The hospital reported the breach to federal health regulators as affecting 5,207 people.

Two patients sued. Their cases were combined into one. They said the hospital stored data on systems open to attack and did not watch closely enough for break-ins. The hospital denies any wrongdoing. Both sides agreed to settle early.

What the settlement offers

• Two years of credit monitoring from one credit bureau, with $1 million in identity theft insurance.
• Up to four hours of lost time, paid at $20 per hour.
• Up to $400 for documented everyday losses from April 22, 2024, to December 8, 2026.
• Up to $4,000 for documented losses from fraud or identity theft tied to the breach.

Every person in the group can claim the credit monitoring. The money for losses requires records, and the losses must not have been repaid by someone else. The hospital will also pay the lawyers' fees, the cost of running the settlement and awards for the two people who brought the case.

Key dates

• November 9, 2026: last day to object to the deal or exclude yourself.
• December 8, 2026: last day to file a claim.
• February 4, 2027: final court hearing on whether to approve the settlement.

Excluding yourself means you keep the right to sue on your own, but you give up any payment from this settlement. Most people who just want the benefits will not need to do that.

What to do

If you were a patient there, check your mail for a notice about the settlement. Keep receipts, bank statements or letters that show any money you lost or time you spent dealing with the breach. Then file a claim before December 8, 2026.

What is not known yet

The material does not say how much money the settlement totals or where to file a claim. The notice should explain that. The court has only given preliminary approval, so the deal is not final until the February hearing.