A class action lawsuit over third-party data sharing on Henry Ford Health’s website has reached a $12.2M+ settlement affecting over 800,000 patients.
Henry Ford Health, Michigan’s second-largest health system, has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit concerning its use of third-party tracking technologies on its website. The suit alleged that tools like Meta Pixel, Google Analytics, and DoubleClick Ads collected protected health information (PHI) from website visitors without their consent and shared it with third parties such as Meta and Google.
The data collection occurred on both public and login-restricted pages, including the MyChart Patient Portal, where patients reviewed health records, scheduled appointments, and communicated with providers. The tools could identify users through their IP addresses or linked accounts and infer sensitive health conditions based on their activity.
The lawsuit, filed in Michigan’s Wayne County Circuit Court, alleged violations of HIPAA and state laws. Plaintiffs claimed injuries from unauthorized disclosures of health information and raised multiple legal claims, including breach of confidentiality, unjust enrichment, negligence, and invasion of privacy.
Henry Ford Health denied all allegations, stating that it acted lawfully and would likely have prevailed in court. However, both sides agreed that a settlement was the most efficient resolution given the costs and unpredictability of ongoing litigation.
The class includes more than 819,000 people who had a MyChart account between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2023. Each member can claim a $15 cash payment which could add up to over $12 million. Members will also receive a one-year subscription to Privacy Shield Pro, a digital privacy monitoring service.
Henry Ford Health maintained that it committed no wrongdoing and contested both the legal and factual claims made in the suit. Despite this, the plaintiffs accepted that the health system had potential defenses that could weaken or block recovery. The proposed resolution was seen as a practical outcome for all parties, avoiding extended litigation.
Class counsel may receive up to $1.9 million in legal fees, and the named plaintiff could be awarded $1,500. The final court hearing to approve the settlement is scheduled for October 7, 2025.
The Henry Ford Health settlement centers on third-party tracking technologies that operate on both public and login-protected pages of the patient portal. While the health system denies wrongdoing, the case raised legal questions about how analytics and ad tools may collect sensitive data without clear patient consent. The $15 payout and privacy monitoring offered to over 800,000 affected users reflect the scale of exposure and the growing scrutiny around how healthcare websites handle tracking technologies.
Meta Pixel is a tracking tool that monitors website visitor activity. In healthcare, it becomes controversial when used on platforms handling PHI, as it can transmit sensitive data to third parties without patient consent.
Privacy Shield Pro is a digital privacy protection service. It helps users monitor for personal data exposure and unauthorized data sharing across online platforms.
Many systems use them to analyze web traffic or improve user experience. However, without proper safeguards, they may inadvertently collect sensitive data in violation of privacy laws.
Yes. The deadline to object or request exclusion is August 11, 2025, and claims can be submitted until August 25, 2025.