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Medibank class action: Millions of Aussies may be eligible for compensation

Medibank branch. Australian money.
Millions of Medibank customers could be eligible for compensation. (Source: Getty)

As many as 9.7 million Medibank customers could be eligible for compensation following the data breach that exposed customer information.

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Bannister Law Class Actions and Centennial Lawyers have joined forces to bring a landmark data-breach complaint against the private health insurer.

According to the three firms, tens of thousands of customers have already registered.

In November, Maurice Blackburn lodged a complaint against Medibank with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The three firms will now pursue the complaint and seek compensation for affected customers.

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Aussies could potentially receive between $500 and $20,000 per person in compensation, principal solicitor of Centennial Lawyers George Newhouse told Sunrise. But this will depend on their circumstances.

Bannister Law Class Actions principal Charles Bannister said he hoped joining forces meant Aussies could be quickly compensated.

"We believe the data breach is a betrayal of Medibank Private's customers and a breach of the Privacy Act. Medibank has a duty to keep this kind of information confidential," Bannister told AAP.

Maurice Blackburn head of class actions Andrew Watson said the cooperation agreement was a significant development.

"This data breach has caused millions of Australians significant distress,” Watson said.

“The cooperation agreement ensures that all three law firms are working together for the common aim of obtaining compensation for those affected as quickly as possible.”

How to join the Medibank class action

Anyone who is a current or former Medibank, ahm or international student policy customer is eligible to register for the Medibank data breach investigation.

You can do this through the Maurice Blackburn, Bannister Law Class Actions and Centennial Lawyers websites.

To register, you’ll need to provide your:

  • Name

  • Phone number

  • Email

  • Postal address

It is free to register and there is currently no deadline.

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