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Kalispell hospital sued for patient data breach

A conceptual graphic showing a padlock in front of nodes representing internet connections.

A Montana hospital is being sued for a data breach last year that compromised the personal information of over 200,000 patients.

The lawsuit filed last month in Flathead County District Court alleges Kalispell-based Logan Health Medical Center lacked adequate cybersecurity to prevent the breach of patient names, phone numbers and insurance information.

The named plaintiffs, two former patients, say since late November’s breach they are facing more phishing attempts and decreased credit scores. The plaintiffs say the data breach also puts them at heightened risk of tax fraud and identity theft for the rest of their lives.

Earlier this year, Logan officials said medical records were not accessed and they were providing affected individuals a year of free credit and identity protection services. In a statement to MTPR Tuesday, hospital spokesperson Chris Leopold says Logan Health is aware of the complaint, reviewing it and will respond to the court.

Great Falls attorney Mark Kovacich, who filed the suit, declined to comment.

In late 2020, Logan — then Kalispell Regional Health — agreed to pay just over $4 million in a settlement with patients affected by a data breach of medical records the year before.

Edward O’Brien first landed at Montana Public Radio three decades ago as a news intern while attending the UM School of Journalism. He covers a wide range of stories from around the state.
edward.obrien@umt.edu.  
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