Cone Health has agreed to pay $1.76M to settle a class action claiming it used pixel tracking technology on its website and patient portal to collect and share patient information without consent.
The North Carolina not-for-profit system runs five hospitals plus specialized medical centers and a mobile medicine network. The lawsuit alleged the tracking violated HIPAA and the North Carolina Electronic Surveillance Act.
The settlement covers individuals who accessed the MyChart patient portal or completed a submission form on a Cone Health website between September 1, 2016 and November 3, 2022. Class members share equally in the net settlement fund, with payment amounts depending on the number of claims filed.
Cone Health admits no wrongdoing. Claims must be submitted by October 5, 2026, the same deadline for exclusion and objection, and a final approval hearing is set for November 5, 2026.
The deal lands in a crowded field of pixel-related settlements this year, including agreements by Banner Health and LifeStance, Atrium Health, and Allina Health over similar tracking claims.
