People covered by the Vasindas’ Around the Clock Care data breach settlement can claim a flat $70.00 with no paperwork, or up to $2,500.00 for documented out-of-pocket losses, and every class member can also enroll in two years of medical identity monitoring. Claims are due November 23, 2026. The case covers people who were mailed notice that their information was exposed in a targeted cyberattack on the Bakersfield-area home care company’s computer systems in January 2024 — files that may have held names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and medical and health insurance information.
Editorial note: This article summarizes a court-approved class notice for general information. It is not legal advice, and Help Dementia is not the settlement administrator or class counsel. The official settlement website governs.
Table of Contents
- What Happened in the January 2024 Cyberattack
- Who the Court Included in the Class
- The Two Cash Options: $70 or Up to $2,500
- Two Years of Medical Identity Monitoring
- The Dates That Decide Your Options
- Why a Home Care Breach Lands Differently on Dementia Families
- Where to File and Where to Read the Documents
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Happened in the January 2024 Cyberattack
Vasindas’ Around the Clock Care, Inc. is a home care provider serving Kern County, California. According to the class notice, its computer systems were hit by a targeted cyberattack in January 2024, and certain files containing private information were accessed. Those files may have contained names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and medical and health insurance information.
Two clients, Kristi Nelson and Heather Velez, sued as class representatives. The case is Nelson et al. v. Vasindas’ Around the Clock Care, Inc., Case No. BCV-24-102900, in the Superior Court of California for the County of Kern. Vasindas denies that it did anything wrong and denies all claims, allegations, and liability, and the court has not decided that Vasindas did anything wrong. Both sides agreed to settle to avoid the cost and risk of a trial. A full plain-English breakdown of the terms is on the Vasindas’ Around the Clock Care data breach settlement page at OpenClassActions.com.
Who the Court Included in the Class
The court defined the class as all living citizens of the United States who were sent notice that their personal information was actually or potentially accessed or compromised in the data incident. Being mailed that notice is the qualifying event — you do not have to show that anyone misused your information.
Six groups are excluded: the judge and the judge’s family and staff; the lawyers in the case and their families and staff; governmental entities; Vasindas and its officers, directors, and related companies; anyone who validly excludes themselves; and anyone who carried out the attack. Class members who are unsure whether they are covered can ask the settlement administrator for free help through the official settlement website.
The Two Cash Options: $70 or Up to $2,500
The settlement offers a choice between two cash payments, not both.
Documented out-of-pocket losses, up to $2,500.00. This covers actual losses tied to the data incident that occurred between January 30, 2024, and November 23, 2026 — losses from identity theft or fraud, fees for credit reports, credit monitoring, or freezing and unfreezing credit, the cost of replacing IDs, and postage to contact banks by mail. Proof such as bank statements or receipts is required. Self-made notes can support other proof but are not enough on their own, and expenses already reimbursed by a third party cannot be claimed.
Alternate cash payment of $70.00. Claimed instead of any other payment, with no proof or explanation required.
For families who kept no receipts — which is most families, two and a half years after a notice letter arrived — the $70 option is the one that takes a few minutes. Households that did pay to freeze credit, replace a driver’s license, or unwind a fraudulent charge should check whether those receipts add up to more than $70 before choosing.
Two Years of Medical Identity Monitoring
Separate from the cash, every settlement class member is eligible to enroll in two years of CyEx Medical Shield Complete. The notice describes it as including $1 million of medical identity theft insurance and monitoring for health insurance ID exposure, Medical Record Number (MRN) exposure, and unauthorized Health Savings Account spending, with access to a fraud resolution agent if something suspicious turns up.
Enrollment codes were mailed to class members on a postcard, and the subscription becomes active once the court grants final approval. Class members who no longer have the postcard can request the code from the settlement administrator.
This is worth separating from the ordinary credit monitoring that follows most breaches. Credit monitoring watches for new loans and accounts. Medical identity monitoring watches for someone using a stolen insurance ID to obtain care, which is the exposure that actually follows a health care records breach.
The Dates That Decide Your Options
| Action | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Submit a claim (online or postmarked) | November 23, 2026 |
| Opt out of the settlement | October 26, 2026 |
| Object to the settlement | October 26, 2026 |
| Final approval hearing | December 3, 2026 |
| Do nothing | No deadline |
Opting out preserves the right to sue Vasindas separately and forfeits all settlement benefits. Objecting keeps you in the class while telling the court why you think it should not approve the deal; the notice lists nine items an objection must contain to be valid, including an unusual one — if you or your lawyer used artificial intelligence to research or draft the objection, you must describe how it was used.
The final approval hearing is set for December 3, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time in Department T-2 of the Kern County Superior Court at 1415 Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield. Attendance is not required. Payments go out only if the court approves the settlement and after any appeals are resolved, so nobody should plan around a specific payment date yet.
Class counsel — John J. Nelson of Milberg PLLC and Leigh S. Montgomery of Ellzey Kherkher Sanford Montgomery LLP — will ask the court to approve $260,000.00 in attorneys’ fees and costs, plus $2,500.00 service awards for each of the two class representatives. Both would be paid by Vasindas if approved, and class members are not charged for class counsel’s services.
Why a Home Care Breach Lands Differently on Dementia Families
Arranging in-home care means handing an agency the exact combination of data this incident exposed: the client’s Social Security number, health insurance details, diagnoses, and often a family member’s contact and billing information as the responsible party. A home care company’s intake file is a fuller picture of a person than most medical offices hold.
Two practical consequences follow for families managing dementia care. The first is that the person who received the notice letter may no longer be able to act on it. Mail piles up, and a notice about a 2024 breach can sit unopened in a stack that nobody sorted. A relative who holds power of attorney or manages the household mail is often the only one who will see the deadline at all — a version of the same oversight problem covered in our guide to discussing spending safeguards without turning care into a power struggle.
The second is that medical identity theft is harder to spot than financial fraud in a household where someone already has cognitive changes. Confusion about an explanation-of-benefits statement, an unfamiliar clinic name, or a denied claim can be read as part of the dementia rather than as a sign that somebody else used the insurance. That is why the monitoring benefit in this settlement, which watches insurance ID and medical record number exposure specifically, is worth enrolling in even by class members who take the $70 and consider the matter closed.
The Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov walks through recovery steps for anyone who finds actual misuse, and its recovery plans are free.
Where to File and Where to Read the Documents
Claims are filed on the official settlement website, VasindasDataSettlement.com, which also hosts the full settlement agreement, a printable claim form, and any updates to the hearing date. Publicly filed documents can be viewed at the office of the Clerk of the Court for the Superior Court of California, County of Kern, at 1415 Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield. The notice asks class members not to contact the court or the clerk about the settlement.
Our sister site tracks this case alongside other health care and home care breaches, with the claim amounts, proof requirements, and dates in one place: Vasindas’ Around the Clock Care Data Breach Settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to prove anything to get the $70 payment?
No. The alternate cash payment of $70.00 is described in the notice as a one-time payment claimed without providing proof or explanation. It is claimed instead of, not in addition to, the documented-loss payment.
Can I claim money and still get the medical monitoring?
Yes. The notice states that all settlement class members may enroll in medical monitoring and claim one of the two cash payment options.
What happens if I do nothing?
You stay in the class, receive no payment, and give up the right to sue Vasindas over the legal claims this settlement resolves. There is no deadline attached to doing nothing.
Is the money guaranteed once I file?
No. The court holds a final approval hearing on December 3, 2026, and payments are distributed only if the court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved.
