Okanogan Behavioral Healthcare’s Class Action Data Breach Lawsuit Settlement

Okanogan Behavioral Healthcare has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit related to a May 2024 data breach that affected 26,429 individuals in connection with a network intrusion at the organization.

The incident involving unauthorized access to the organization’s system happened from May 13, 2024 until May 15, 2024. The intrusion was identified on May 15, 2024, following an investigation into network activity.

The forensic investigation results showed that an unauthorized third party accessed information stored on the network during the period of unauthorized access. The compromised information included the following: client names, contact details, birth dates, driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers, other ID numbers, medical information that included diagnosis and treatment information, and medical insurance information.

Individuals affected by the incident began receiving notifications on August 23, 2024.

Lawsuit and Settlement

A class action lawsuit, Doe v. Okanogan Behavioral Healthcare, was filed in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for the County of Okanogan after the data breach.

The lawsuit alleged that the HIPAA-covered entity did not implement reasonable and appropriate cybersecurity measures and asserted that the incident could have been prevented if those measures had been in place.

Okanogan Behavioral Healthcare disputes the allegations in the lawsuit and denies liability or wrongdoing. Nevertheless, the organization agreed to resolve the litigation to avoid additional legal expenses and the uncertainty associated with continued court proceedings and potential appeals.

Settlement Terms

Under the settlement, Okanogan Behavioral Healthcare agreed to pay lawyers’ fees and expenditures, settlement notice and management costs, and the class representative service award.

Class members may submit claims for documented unreimbursed ordinary losses of up to $300 per person. Claims for extraordinary losses may be submitted for up to $5,000 per person.

Eligible class members may also choose either an alternative cash payment, which is anticipated to be $50 per person, or two years of credit monitoring services.

The maximum available claim is $5,300 together with the anticipated $50 alternative cash payment, or $5,300 together with two years of credit monitoring services.

Settlement Schedule

The deadline to object to the settlement or request exclusion is August 4, 2026.

The deadline for submitting a claim is September 3, 2026.

The final approval hearing is scheduled for September 3, 2026.