A notice recently sent to some Reid Health patients about the settlement of a class action lawsuit involving disclosure of their personal information is real and could entitle recipients to receive a $25 cash payment.
The case was filed in Wayne Superior Court 1 on Nov. 13, 2023. An unnamed group of plaintiffs, led by a Centerville resident identified only as Jane Doe and represented by Indianapolis-based Cohen & Malad LLP, claimed that Reid improperly disclosed personal information to third parties including Facebook, Google, personal finance app Simplifi and potentially others.
The filing and subsequent court documents claim the information for over 69,000 Indiana patients was potentially disclosed through the use of tracking and analytics technologies in place on the ReidHealth.org website.
For example, the filing says that Reid’s use of the Facebook “pixel” tracking tool, which allows organizations to connect website browsing activity to Facebook accounts and other actions across the Internet, might have recorded patient online interactions about private health information, including which content pages were viewed, what terms were searched for and what links or buttons were clicked on, then sent that data to Facebook.
The filing says that after Doe used Reid’s website, she began receiving targeted Facebook ads for doctors and medical services. She claims that Reid’s website sent Facebook not only her identity and status as a patient, but also information about specific health conditions and the treatments she was seeking. She said she suffered harm, including monetary damages, loss of privacy, embarrassment, humiliation and emotional distress.
Facebook, Google and other large technology platforms are known for collecting, using and selling personal information, not just of their direct users but of anyone visiting a website employing their tracking technologies. Some countries have found the practice illegal and passed legislation to block data collection or to require users to opt in explicitly. The U.S. Congress has attempted to pass similar laws, but few have survived corporate lobbying and partisan disagreements.
In a May 2024 response to the lawsuit’s claims, Reid acknowledged the use of certain advertising and tracking technologies on its website at that time, but denied any willful or intentional wrongdoing, including any unlawful data sharing practices.
A jury trial originally scheduled for early 2026 was canceled when the parties reached a settlement agreement, preliminarily approved by the court on Aug. 26 this year. In the settlement filing, Reid does not admit to any wrongdoing and continues to deny disclosing patient data. It agrees to pay an award to the original plaintiff, up to $5,000, and attorneys’ fees, up to $500,000.
For other patients who opt in to the settlement by Dec. 24, Reid has agreed to provide identity protection and monitoring along with a $25 cash payment. Unclaimed funds from the settlement agreement will be donated to the Indiana Bar Foundation and the United Way of Central Indiana.
In response to questions about the settlement, a Reid representative told WWN, “Reid Health is aware of the notice recently sent. Anyone who has questions about a notice they may have received can reach out to the settlement administrator using the contact information provided in the communication.”
Patients might have received a notice about their eligibility to join the settlement by email, coming from the address “noreply@reidhospitalpixelsettlement.com” with a link to the ReidHospitalPixelSettlement.com website, along with a unique ID and PIN. Questions can be directed through that website or to the settlement administrator at 844-496-1154, or by mail to Reid Health Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799. Readers should carefully verify any other correspondence or calls claiming to be about the settlement.
Disclosure: As a Reid Health patient, Chris Hardie received the notice of potential class member status and is taking no action on the matter.
A version of this article will appear in the October 8 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.