Ciox Health $4.5 Million Medical Records Fee Settlement in Maryland, Who Qualifies, How to Claim and Deadlines

Ciox Health, LLC, which now operates under the Datavant name, has agreed to a $4.5 million class action settlement in Ayers, et al. v. CIOX Health, LLC, Case No. 8:24-cv-2208-ABA (U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland). The case claims Ciox charged fees for copies of Maryland medical records that Maryland’s Confidentiality of Medical Records Act does not allow. The most common charge was a $22.88 “No Records Found” fee.

If you paid one of the disputed fees between October 1, 2016 and July 11, 2025, you may be able to get paid. You must file a claim. Payments are not automatic. The notice estimates about $45.76 per approved claim, and you can file one claim for each invoice that included an eligible fee.

Deadlines differ by claimant type. Law firms, eligible copying services and eligible insurers must file by December 4, 2026. Individuals have until May 22, 2027, or 60 days after final approval, as the notice puts it. The Court’s fairness hearing is March 23, 2027.

Research updated November 9, 2026, based on the court-authorized Long Form Notice and the official settlement website.

Ciox Health Settlement Quick Facts

Settlement detail	Information
Settlement amount	$4,500,000 Common Fund
Case	Ayers, et al. v. CIOX Health, LLC
Case number	8:24-cv-2208-ABA
Court	U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (Southern Division, Greenbelt)
Defendant	CIOX Health, LLC (now operating as Datavant)
Law at issue	Maryland Confidentiality of Medical Records Act, Md. Code Ann., Health-Gen. §§ 4-301 et seq.
Class period	October 1, 2016 to July 11, 2025
Estimated payment	About $45.76 per approved claim (not guaranteed)
Claim form required?	Yes
Claim deadline, law firms, copying services and insurers	December 4, 2026
Claim deadline, individuals	May 22, 2027, or 60 days after final approval
Opt-out and objection deadline, law firms, copying services and insurers	December 4, 2026
Opt-out and objection deadline, individuals	February 22, 2027
Fairness hearing	March 23, 2027, 10 a.m., 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770
Settlement administrator	Strategic Claims Services, Inc.
Official settlement website	www.CIOXsettlement-Maryland.com
Administrator phone	1-866-274-4004
Status	Final approval pending

What Is the Ciox Health Medical Records Fee Class Action About?

Ciox is a company that processes medical records requests for health care providers. The class representatives say Ciox overcharged individuals and their law firms for copies of records requested on behalf of individuals. They say those charges violated Maryland’s Confidentiality of Medical Records Act (CMRA).

The notice names these fees as the “Eligible Fees”:

1. The “No Records Found” (NRF) fee: a fee of any type charged after Ciox determined that no records existed. The notice describes the most common overcharge as a $22.88 fee added when no records were located.
2. Excess copy charges: fees on requests where records were produced, but the amounts collected were higher than the per-page rates or aggregate caps allowed by Health-Gen. § 4-304(c)(3), as adjusted annually under the Consumer Price Index.
3. Other fees: a Retrieval Fee, Sales Tax, Electronic Delivery Fee or Certification Fee.

Ciox and the plaintiffs disagree on whether a class action could have been maintained, whether Ciox did anything wrong, and how much money is at stake. There was no trial. This is a negotiated settlement and not a ruling that Ciox broke the law.

Which Maryland Laws Apply to the Ciox Health Settlement?

Maryland Confidentiality of Medical Records Act, Health-General §§ 4-301 et seq.

The CMRA is the Maryland law that protects the privacy of patient records and also limits what providers and their vendors can charge for copies. Section 4-304(c) of the Health-General Article sets the permitted fees, including a retrieval and preparation fee, per-page copying rates and aggregate caps that adjust with the Consumer Price Index. The Act also provides that a health care provider or other person who knowingly violates it can be held liable for actual damages.

Hollabaugh v. MRO Corporation (Maryland Supreme Court, 2025)

This ruling changed the fight over the “No Records Found” fee. In Hollabaugh v. MRO Corporation, No. 27, September Term, 2024, the Supreme Court of Maryland ruled on July 10, 2025 that the CMRA allows the retrieval and preparation fee only when a provider actually retrieves and prepares records. Janice Hollabaugh’s attorney had been charged $22.88 for a search that turned up nothing, and she had reimbursed the attorney. The Court held she had standing to sue because she reimbursed her lawyer for the fee, and it ruled that a fee for a search that produces no records is not authorized.

Ciox was not a party to Hollabaugh, but the decision matters here. The class period in this settlement ends on July 11, 2025, the day after the opinion was filed. The reasoning in Hollabaugh took away much of the basis for charging the NRF fee.

Federal Class Action Rules: Rule 23

Because the case is in federal court, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(e) requires the judge to approve any class settlement as fair, reasonable and adequate before it takes effect. The judge also reviews the attorneys’ fee request under Rule 23(h). That review is the purpose of the March 23, 2027 fairness hearing.

Federal Right-of-Access Rule (HIPAA)

Separately from this case, the federal HIPAA right-of-access rule, 45 C.F.R. § 164.524(c)(4), limits what a provider can charge a patient for copies of their own records. The Ciox settlement is based on Maryland’s CMRA and does not resolve any HIPAA claim.

Related article: Sherr Puttmann Akins Lamb $455,000 Data Breach Settlement, Who Qualifies, How to Claim and the December 28, 2026 Deadline

Who Qualifies for the Ciox Health Settlement?

You are in the Settlement Class if, between October 1, 2016 and July 11, 2025, you sought copies of medical records from a Maryland health care provider, or had your records requested by someone else under your authorization, and you were charged and paid one or more Eligible Fees.

• Individuals qualify if they paid an Eligible Fee directly, or reimbursed their lawyer for one.
• Law firms, including solo practitioners, qualify if they paid an Eligible Fee and were not reimbursed for it.
• Eligible copying services and insurers are treated like law firms for this settlement, but only to the extent they were charged an NRF fee.

Excluded are current and former Ciox executives and their spouses, parents, siblings and children, as well as employees of the defendants and employees of the Court. Law firms that were reimbursed by their clients are also not in the class for those fees.

The notice says Ciox’s records show you may have paid an Eligible Fee if you received it. If you are unsure, call the administrator at 1-866-274-4004.

How Much Money Can You Get From the Ciox Health Settlement?

The notice states that each approved claimant is expected to receive approximately $45.76. That figure is an estimate. The actual amount depends on how many valid claims are filed.

Three details from the notice matter:

• The estimate is per claim, not per person. You can file one claim for each invoice on which an Eligible Fee was charged and paid, and at most one claim per invoice. Someone with several qualifying invoices could receive several payments.
• The settlement’s stated goal is to pay at least twice the fee. The notice says the aim is to pay each claimant at least twice the Eligible Fee they likely paid, using the $22.88 NRF fee as the benchmark.
• The amount can go up or down. If valid claims add up to more than the available fund, the administrator will reduce payments. If fewer claims come in, payments will increase.

The notice says there are as many as 408,000 eligible claims, and many individuals have several.

Attorneys’ Fees, Costs and Service Awards

Class counsel will ask the Court to approve one-third of the $4.5 million Common Fund as attorneys’ fees, plus costs. That would be $1,500,000 if approved in full. Ciox has also agreed to pay each of the seven class representatives an incentive award of up to $7,500, and the notice says that amount is paid in addition to the Common Fund, subject to Court approval. The class representatives are Gillian Ayers (as personal representative of the estate of Earl Ayers), Melissa Harmon, Maia Bar Am, Ashley Hoggard, Charles Pugh, Veronica Stewart and Narvell Nines.

Class counsel are Gordon, Wolf & Carney, Chtd. of Hunt Valley, Maryland and Gilman & Bedigian of Timonium, Maryland. Class members are not charged separately for these lawyers.

How to File a Ciox Health Settlement Claim

1. Gather your information. Collect any invoices, receipts or reimbursement records showing the fees you paid for a medical records request.
2. Choose how to file. File online at www.CIOXsettlement-Maryland.com, download and mail a paper claim form, or call 866-274-4004 to ask the administrator to mail you one.
3. Confirm your details. For each transaction, confirm your name, mailing address, email and telephone number.
4. Make the required affirmation. An individual affirms that they paid directly, or reimbursed their lawyer, for one or more Eligible Fees on a request made for them. A law firm, copying service or insurer affirms that it paid one or more Eligible Fees on a request for an individual it represented and was not reimbursed.
5. File one claim for each invoice with an Eligible Fee.
6. Submit before your deadline (see the next section).

Law firms that identify fees as reimbursed by a client, or that opt out or choose not to file claims, are encouraged but not required to give the administrator the last-known contact information for those clients so the clients can be notified.

Ciox Health Settlement Deadlines: Individuals vs. Law Firms

The deadlines differ depending on who you are. The settlement website’s Important Dates page currently lists December 4, 2026 for the claims, exclusion and objection deadlines, but the Long Form Notice sets later dates for individuals. Use the dates below, which follow the Long Form Notice.

Action	Law firms, eligible copying services, eligible insurers	Individuals
File a claim	December 4, 2026	May 22, 2027, or 60 days after final approval
Exclude yourself (opt out)	December 4, 2026	February 22, 2027
Object	December 4, 2026	February 22, 2027
Notice of intention to appear at the hearing	February 22, 2027	February 22, 2027
Fairness hearing	March 23, 2027, 10 a.m.	March 23, 2027, 10 a.m.

The notice words the individual claim deadline as “May 22, 2027 or 60 days after the date of the Final Approval.” Confirm the exact date that applies to you with the administrator before the deadline gets close.

What Happens If You Do Nothing in the Ciox Health Settlement?

If you fit the class definition and do nothing, you receive no payment. You also remain a class member, you are bound by the settlement, and you give up the right to sue Ciox and the health care providers whose records Ciox was releasing over the claims covered by the settlement. That release applies to claims that were or could have been raised about the charges for medical records, to the extent consistent with applicable case law.

How to Opt Out of the Ciox Health Settlement

If you exclude yourself, you get no money, but you are not bound by the judgment and keep any right to pursue your own claims. Opting out is the only way to preserve your ability to sue Ciox and the providers over the claims in this case.

You must mail a signed letter saying you want to be excluded from the class in Ayers, et al. v. CIOX Health LLC. Include your name, address, telephone number and email. Mail it, postmarked by your deadline, to:

Ayers, et al. v. CIOX Health LLC Lawsuit c/o Strategic Claims Services P.O. Box 230 600 N Jackson St Media, PA 19063

If you opt out you cannot object, since you are no longer part of the class.

How to Object to the Ciox Health Settlement

You can object only if you stay in the class. Send a letter stating that you object to the settlement in Ayers, et al. v. CIOX Health LLC, Case No. 8:24-cv-2208-ABA. The notice requires the objection to include:

1. your full name, address and current telephone number;
2. if you have a lawyer, the lawyer’s name and telephone number, and if counsel will request fees, all factual and legal support for that request;
3. each objection and its basis, stated specifically, including whether it applies only to you, to a subset of the class or to the whole class;
4. the identity of any witnesses you may call;
5. a list of any exhibits you intend to use at the hearing, with copies; and
6. whether you intend to appear at the hearing, with or without a lawyer.

Mail a copy to each of three places, postmarked by your deadline: the Clerk of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Southern Division, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770; Class Counsel, Richard S. Gordon, Gordon, Wolf & Carney, Chtd., 11350 McCormick Rd., Executive Plaza 1, Suite 1000, Hunt Valley, MD 21031; and Defendants’ counsel, Gilad Bendheim, Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022. A class member who does not timely file a proper written objection may be barred from objecting or appealing.

When Will Ciox Health Settlement Payments Be Sent?

No payment date has been set. The Court must grant final approval first. If it does and there is no appeal, the administrator will send payments on the later of 45 days after the Effective Date or 45 days after the Claims Deadline, according to the notice. If anyone appeals, payments wait until the appeal is resolved.

When Is the Ciox Health Settlement Fairness Hearing?

The Court is scheduled to hold the hearing at 10 a.m. on March 23, 2027 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Southern Division, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770. The time or place could change, so check with the administrator. The judge will decide whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate and will consider any timely, valid objections. You do not have to attend. To ask to speak, send a letter titled “Notice of Intention to Appear in Ayers, et al. v. CIOX Health LLC, Case No. 8:24-cv-2208-ABA,” postmarked by February 22, 2027, to the same three addresses used for objections. You cannot speak if you excluded yourself.

Are Ciox Health Settlement Payments Taxable?

The notice does not address taxes. Whether a payment is taxable depends on your situation, particularly for law firms that deducted the fees as a business expense. A tax professional can advise you.

Who Is the Ciox Health Settlement Administrator?

Strategic Claims Services, Inc. administers the settlement.

• Official settlement website: www.CIOXsettlement-Maryland.com
• Phone (toll-free): 1-866-274-4004
• Mail: Ayers, et al. v. CIOX Health LLC Lawsuit, c/o Strategic Claims Services, P.O. Box 230, 600 N Jackson St, Media, PA 19063
• Class Counsel (Gordon, Wolf & Carney, Chtd.): 410-825-2300

The notice says not to contact the Court directly with questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Ciox Health Settlement

Is the Ciox Health $4.5 million settlement real?

Yes. The Long Form Notice states that the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland authorized it, and the settlement website posts the notice and related documents for Ayers, et al. v. CIOX Health, LLC, Case No. 8:24-cv-2208-ABA. The notice is not a solicitation from a lawyer.

Who qualifies for the Ciox Health settlement?

People and law firms that paid an Eligible Fee to Ciox on a Maryland medical records request between October 1, 2016 and July 11, 2025, and were not reimbursed if they are a law firm, copying service or insurer.

Do I need to file a claim for the Ciox Health settlement?

Yes. If you do not file a valid claim you get no payment, even if you are a class member.

How much will I get from the Ciox Health settlement?

The notice anticipates about $45.76 per approved claim. The final amount depends on how many valid claims are filed.

Can I file more than one Ciox Health settlement claim?

Yes, but only one claim for each invoice that included an Eligible Fee.

What is the Ciox Health claim deadline?

December 4, 2026 for law firms, eligible copying services and eligible insurers. For individuals, May 22, 2027 or 60 days after final approval, per the Long Form Notice.

What is the “No Records Found” fee in the Ciox Health lawsuit?

It is the fee, often $22.88, that was charged when a search for medical records found nothing. The Supreme Court of Maryland ruled in Hollabaugh v. MRO Corporation in July 2025 that the CMRA does not allow a preparation fee for a search that produces no records.

I reimbursed my lawyer for a records fee. Can I claim?

Yes. An individual qualifies if they paid an Eligible Fee directly or reimbursed their lawyer for it.

I am a law firm and my client reimbursed me. Can I claim?

No. Law firms are in the class only for fees they were not reimbursed for. The notice encourages firms to give the administrator their clients’ last-known contact information so those clients can be notified.

How do I opt out of the Ciox Health settlement?

Mail a signed exclusion letter to Strategic Claims Services, postmarked by December 4, 2026 (law firms, copying services and insurers) or February 22, 2027 (individuals).

Has the Court given final approval to the Ciox Health settlement?

No. As of November 9, 2026, final approval is pending, and the fairness hearing is set for March 23, 2027.

Does the Ciox Health settlement release the health care providers too?

Yes. The release covers Ciox and the health care providers whom Ciox represented in connection with releasing the class member’s records, for the claims covered by the settlement.

Official Sources for the Ciox Health Settlement

• Official settlement website, Ayers, et al. v. CIOX Health, LLC (administrator: Strategic Claims Services, Inc.)
• Long Form Notice (PDF)
• Important Dates page
• Hollabaugh v. MRO Corporation, No. 27, September Term, 2024 (Md. July 10, 2025), 491 Md. 165, 339 A.3d 188
• Md. Code Ann., Health-Gen. §§ 4-301 et seq. and § 4-304(c)
• Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(e) and 23(h); 45 C.F.R. § 164.524(c)(4)

More Settlement Coverage on AllAboutLawyer.com

Looking for other open payouts? Browse our Class Action Settlements coverage, or read our Consumer Protection Law guides to learn what protections apply when you are charged fees you did not expect.

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. AllAboutLawyer.com is an independent information website, not a law firm.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official Long Form Notice and the settlement website run by the administrator, Strategic Claims Services, Inc. (www.CIOXsettlement-Maryland.com), and the Maryland Supreme Court’s opinion in Hollabaugh v. MRO Corporation, as of November 9, 2026. Last Updated: November 9, 2026.