If you have had a MyAtriumHealth or MyCarolinas patient portal account at any point in the last decade, Atrium Health might owe you a small slice of a $1.8 million settlement.
The Charlotte-based health system has agreed to pay up to $1.8 million to resolve class-action claims that tracking code on its website and patient portal shared patients’ personal and health information with outside advertisers. A federal court granted preliminary approval to the deal on May 22. The lawsuits said a snippet of code quietly funneled user activity to companies including Meta and Google. Atrium has consistently denied doing anything unlawful.
What the settlement covers
According to the Atrium Health Pixel Settlement, the settlement class includes all United States residents who had a MyAtriumHealth or MyCarolinas patient portal account between January 1, 2015 and April 10, 2024.
Under the deal, Atrium has agreed to pay up to $1.8 million to resolve those claims. Of that, $1.5 million will fund payments to people who accessed or used their portal accounts between January 1, 2015 and July 31, 2019 (Group 1). Up to $300,000 is set aside for people who had an account during the broader period but did not access it in the Group 1 window (Group 2). Group 2 payments may end up at about $10 per claimant, depending on how many valid claims are filed, according to the settlement site.
How payments are split
The settlement splits class members into two groups and pays Group 1 claimants on a pro rata basis from the $1.5 million pool after court-approved fees and costs are taken out, while Group 2 shares a separate $300,000 fund, as reported by The Charlotte Observer.
Because money is distributed only after attorneys’ fees and administration expenses are deducted, individual checks will vary and cannot be pinned down until all claims are counted. Each person can qualify for only one category of payment and must certify that they meet the criteria when filing a claim.
Deadlines and how to claim
ClassAction.org and the court-authorized notice state that claim forms must be submitted online or mailed with a postmark by September 28, 2026. The deadline to opt out of the settlement or object to it is August 31, 2026, and the court’s final approval hearing is currently set for September 30, 2026.
To file online, most claimants will need the class-member ID that appears on the postcard or email notice. Those who did not receive a notice can request paper claim forms from the settlement administrator. No money will go out until the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved, so payments will not be immediate.
Atrium’s response
Atrium Health maintains that its use of the tracking technology did not violate the law, according to The Charlotte Observer. The plaintiffs claimed the code sent details of what patients did on the portal, including page actions such as searches, form entries and appointment clicks, to Meta and Google, which they say helped build targeted advertising profiles without patient consent.
Part of a larger wave
Legal observers say the Atrium case is one more entry in a growing string of “pixel” lawsuits that took off after investigative reporting in 2022 and have led to dozens of settlements, including several worth multiple millions of dollars, according to LegalClarity.
Regulators and courts are still sorting out how HIPAA, state privacy laws and consumer-protection rules apply when hospitals and health systems use third-party tracking tools in patient-facing websites and portals.
Legal implications for patients
The settlement notice explains that staying in the class means releasing the claims described in the agreement, while submitting a timely opt-out keeps the right to sue separately. Class counsel plans to ask the court to approve attorneys’ fees and modest service awards to be paid from the settlement fund before claimants receive any money, as outlined in the FAQ on the official settlement site.
Anyone who thinks they might be part of the class is urged to read the long-form notice closely and decide whether to file a claim, object, or exclude themselves before the opt-out deadline.
Local impact
Atrium Health is one of the region’s dominant health systems, anchored by Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte and a network of hospitals and care locations across the Carolinas, according to Atrium Health. That broad footprint means a significant number of local patients could see notices arrive and may need the class-member ID on those mailed or emailed communications in order to file a claim.
If you suspect you are affected, keep an eye on your mailbox and inbox for the official notice that includes your class-member ID, and use only the court-approved website or the settlement administrator’s printed forms to submit a claim. Be wary of phishing emails or scam letters that ask you to pay a fee to participate. Filing a legitimate claim in this settlement is free.
