Central Maine Healthcare $1,368,025 Data Breach Settlement, Check If You Qualify — In re Central Maine Data Security Litigation, No. ANDSC-CIV-2025-00083

⚠️ September 28, 2026. That’s your deadline to claim money from the Central Maine Healthcare settlement, and with the opt-out and objection deadlines falling even sooner — September 13 — this one moves fast. Central Maine Healthcare and Central Maine Medical Center are paying $1,368,025 to patients whose private information was exposed in a 2025 data breach. Filing takes about 10 minutes.

Central Maine Healthcare Data Breach Settlement — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	$1,368,025
Claim Deadline	September 28, 2026
Who Qualifies	U.S. residents individually notified their private information may have been exposed in the March–June 2025 data incident
Estimated Payout	Up to $5,000 (documented losses) or an estimated $50 (no-proof cash payment), plus 1 year of free Medical Records Monitoring
Proof Required	Yes, for the $5,000 tier. No, for the $50 tier
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved; final approval hearing pending
Court & Case Number	Business and Consumer Court, Androscoggin County, Maine, Docket No. ANDSC-CIV-2025-00083
Law Alleged	UNVERIFIED — the notice describes disputed “legal claims” without naming each cause of action
Administrator	Not named in the Notice — referred to only as “Settlement Administrator”
Official Claim Site	cmhdatasecuritysettlement.com
Last Updated	August 29, 2026

Who Is Central Maine Healthcare and Why Are They Being Sued for the Data Breach?

Central Maine Healthcare is a nonprofit hospital system serving roughly 400,000 people across central and western Maine, anchored by Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston along with Bridgton and Rumford hospitals and dozens of smaller care centers. That footprint means the organization holds decades of patient records — treatment histories, insurance details, Social Security numbers — for a huge share of the region, which is exactly what made a 74-day network intrusion so damaging once hackers got in.

What Did Central Maine Healthcare Do to Patients Between March and June 2025?

An unauthorized party got into Central Maine Healthcare’s network on March 19, 2025, and stayed there, undetected, until the organization spotted unusual activity and shut its systems down on June 1, 2025 — 74 days of access. While inside, the intruder may have accessed or copied files containing patients’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, treatment information, dates of service, provider names, and health insurance details.

Here’s the number worth sitting with. When Central Maine Healthcare first reported this breach to the Maine Attorney General, the filing said eight people were affected. Eight. By the time the investigation wrapped up on November 6, 2025, the real count was 145,381 — an increase of more than 1.8 million percent from that first estimate. Notification letters went out in waves between July 31 and December 29, 2025, as the true scope kept growing.

Central Maine Healthcare is separately offering 12 months of free TransUnion credit monitoring with $1 million in identity theft insurance directly to everyone who got a notice letter — that offer exists outside this lawsuit and doesn’t require a claim form. The settlement itself adds a different benefit on top: cash payments plus a year of Medical Records Monitoring. Don’t let the two get confused; you can use both.

Other New England hospital systems have faced similar attacks. Covenant Health, which runs hospitals across Maine, New Hampshire, and four other states, is still in early litigation over a 2025 breach affecting 478,000 patients. And the Bayhealth Medical Center $2.5 million settlement shows how a similarly sized ransomware-driven breach played out from filing to payout.

An initial estimate that’s off by 1.8 million percent isn’t a rounding error — it’s a sign the organization didn’t know the size of its own breach for months after telling regulators it did.

Who Qualifies for the Central Maine Healthcare Data Breach Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• U.S. residents whose private information may have been exposed in the March 19 – June 1, 2025 data incident
• Anyone who received an individual notification letter from Central Maine Healthcare or Central Maine Medical Center
• Current and former patients treated at Central Maine Medical Center, Bridgton Hospital, Rumford Hospital, or affiliated care centers during the relevant period
• Those who spent money on credit monitoring, professional fees, or other costs traceable to the breach

You do not qualify if you’re a current director or officer of Central Maine Healthcare or Central Maine Medical Center, a governmental entity, or the judge assigned to the case, their immediate family, or court staff.

Central Maine Healthcare Patients Outside Maine — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. The case is filed in Androscoggin County, Maine, but the Settlement Class isn’t limited to Maine residents. Any individual in the United States whose private information may have been impacted and who received individual notice qualifies, regardless of where they live now. Of the 145,381 people confirmed affected, roughly 6,500 live outside Maine.

If a notice letter reached you sometime between July and December 2025, you’re already part of this case whether or not the eight-person figure from early news reports ever crossed your radar.

Not sure if you qualify for the Central Maine Healthcare data breach settlement? A free consultation with a data privacy attorney can help before the September 28, 2026 deadline.

How Much Can Central Maine Healthcare Data Breach Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $5,000 Per Person

Central Maine Healthcare Payout With Proof — Up to $5,000

If you have documented losses tied to the breach — fraud charges, professional fees, time spent resolving identity theft — you can file for up to $5,000. You’ll need reasonable documentation. If your documentation isn’t accepted and you don’t fix the problem, your claim gets processed as the flat no-proof payment instead.

Central Maine Healthcare Payout Without Proof — Estimated $50

No paperwork required. You can claim a flat cash payment currently estimated at $50, though the number can move up or down depending on how many people file.

What Pro-Rata Means for Your Central Maine Healthcare Check

The Net Settlement Fund pays for Medical Records Monitoring first, then cash payments. If fewer people file than expected, both the $50 estimate and documented-loss payments could rise. If more people file, they could shrink. Either way, everyone’s adjustment moves by the same percentage.

Payment goes out after the October 28, 2026 final approval hearing and any appeal period closes. Payments over $600 may appear on a 1099 — check with a tax professional.

Class Counsel can ask for up to one-third of the $1,368,025 fund in fees — potentially over $450,000 — before cash payments go out to patients.

How to File Your Central Maine Healthcare Data Breach Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Go to cmhdatasecuritysettlement.com and open the online Claim Form
2. Enter your name, address, and the identifying details from your notice letter
3. Choose Cash Payment A (documented losses, requires proof) or Cash Payment B (flat estimated payment, no proof needed)
4. Add Medical Records Monitoring if you want it, regardless of which cash option you picked
5. Upload supporting documentation if you’re claiming documented losses
6. Submit and save your confirmation

Takes about 10 minutes. ⚠️ You have until September 28, 2026 to file — mail at least a week early if you’re not filing online, since postmark dates can lag behind when you actually drop something in the mail.

Should Central Maine Healthcare Class Members Opt Out or Object Before September 13, 2026?

What Opting Out of the Central Maine Healthcare Settlement Actually Means

Opting out means you get no cash payment and no Medical Records Monitoring from this settlement, but you keep the right to sue Central Maine Healthcare on your own. Most people shouldn’t opt out without talking to a lawyer first. ⚠️ The deadline to opt out is September 13, 2026 — just over two weeks away.

How to Object to the Central Maine Healthcare Settlement

Objecting means you stay in the class while telling the court, in writing, what you disagree with. Objections must be filed with the Androscoggin County Superior Court, 2 Turner Street, Auburn, ME 04210, and mailed to Class Counsel, Defendants’ Counsel, and the settlement administrator, all by September 13, 2026.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before September 13, 2026 if you’re weighing either option — that deadline is closer than the claim deadline itself.

Central Maine Healthcare Data Breach Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Unauthorized Network Access Begins	March 19, 2025
Breach Detected, Systems Shut Down	June 1, 2025
Notification Letters Sent (rolling)	July 31 – December 29, 2025
Investigation Completed (145,381 confirmed affected)	November 6, 2025
Opt-Out Deadline	September 13, 2026
Objection Deadline	September 13, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	September 28, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	October 28, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Auburn, ME

Central Maine Healthcare Data Breach — Frequently Asked Questions, No. ANDSC-CIV-2025-00083

Do I need a lawyer to file a Central Maine Healthcare settlement claim? 

No. The claim form at cmhdatasecuritysettlement.com is built to be filed on your own. Class Counsel — Mariya Weekes of Milberg PLLC and Jeff Ostrow of Kopelowitz Ostrow P.C. — already represents the class for free.

Is the Central Maine Healthcare data breach settlement legitimate?

 Yes. It’s overseen by the Honorable Thomas McKeon in the Business and Consumer Court for Androscoggin County, Maine, Docket No. ANDSC-CIV-2025-00083. Only file through cmhdatasecuritysettlement.com.

When will Central Maine Healthcare settlement payments be sent? 

Payments follow the October 28, 2026 final approval hearing, assuming the court approves the deal and no appeal follows. There’s no fixed payment date yet.

What if I missed the Central Maine Healthcare claim deadline? 

Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by September 28, 2026. There’s no stated grace period, so don’t wait until the last few days — especially by mail, since postmarks can take longer than you’d expect.

Will my Central Maine Healthcare settlement payment go on a 1099?

 Possibly. Payments over $600 may be reported on a 1099. Talk to a tax professional about how a settlement payment affects your filing.

How many people were actually affected by the Central Maine Healthcare breach?

 145,381, including about 138,800 Maine residents — though the organization’s first report to the Maine Attorney General said only eight people were affected. The number grew as the investigation continued through November 2025.

What information was exposed in the Central Maine Healthcare data breach?

 Names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, treatment information, dates of service, provider names, and health insurance information, based on files accessed between March 19 and June 1, 2025.

Can I still object or opt out of the Central Maine Healthcare settlement? 

Yes, but only until September 13, 2026 — earlier than the claim deadline. After that, both options close and you’ll be bound by whatever the court decides at the October 28, 2026 final approval hearing.

Sources Used in This Central Maine Healthcare Article

• Official Long Form Notice, In re Central Maine Data Security Litigation, Docket No. ANDSC-CIV-2025-00083: https://cmhdatasecuritysettlement.com/Content/Documents/Long%20Form%20Notice.pdf
• Official Settlement Agreement: https://cmhdatasecuritysettlement.com/Content/Documents/Settlement%20Agreement.pdf
• Official Settlement Website: https://cmhdatasecuritysettlement.com/Login
• Central Maine Healthcare, “Central Maine Healthcare Addresses Data Security Incident,” Dec. 2025: https://www.cmhc.org/2025/12/notice-of-data-security-incident/
• SecurityWeek, “Central Maine Healthcare Data Breach Impacts 145,000 Individuals,” Jan. 2026: https://www.securityweek.com/central-maine-healthcare-data-breach-impacts-145000-individuals/
• HIPAA Journal, “Central Maine Healthcare Data Breach,” 2026: https://www.hipaajournal.com/central-maine-healthcare-data-breach/

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official Long Form Notice and independent breach reporting on August 29, 2026. Last Updated: August 29, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.