Sea Mar Community Health Centers seamar.org

Sea Mar Community Health Centers data breach: what happened and what to do

Sea Mar Community Health Centers, a Washington state health provider, reported a data breach in 2021 and later found more copied data. Its filings say names and Social Security numbers were involved. News reports put the total at about 688,000 people, based on the federal HHS filing.

View all 13,177 breaches
Breach date
12 Dec 2020
Made public
1 Oct 2021
Affected
688,000
Data exposed
Names, Social security numbers
Last updated

Reviewed by Anthon Wansland

Head of Product & Co-Founder

Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.

What happened

Sea Mar Community Health Centers runs clinics across Washington state. California's Attorney General lists the breach with dates of December 12, 2020 and March 15, 2021, and Sea Mar told state regulators and patients about it in late 2021. In early 2022, Sea Mar said it had found more data that may have been copied from its systems, and it sent a further round of notices that spring.

News outlets reported the federal filing with the Department of Health and Human Services at about 688,000 current and former patients. Counts in state filings and lawsuits were lower (around 650,000), because they count people in different ways.

Sources checked: oag.ca.gov, maine.gov, techtarget.com

Last verified against the official page:

How we research this Report an error

What was exposed

Sea Mar's filing with the Maine Attorney General says names and Social Security numbers were involved. News coverage of the notice reports other patient details too, such as dates of birth, addresses and health information, so read your own letter to see which items apply to you.

A Social Security number is the part that matters most. With a name and that number, someone can try to open credit, file a fake tax return or claim medical services in your name. Health details make phishing calls and texts about "your clinic" or "your insurance" more believable.

What Sea Mar and the courts did

Patients sued over the breach. According to the plaintiffs' law firm, the Washington Court of Appeals upheld a class action settlement valued at $4.4 million in January 2024.

What to do if you were in it

  1. 1

    Read your notice and check what was listed

    Sea Mar wrote to people it believed were affected. The letter says which of your details were involved and whether any monitoring is offered. If you didn't get one, ask Sea Mar directly.

  2. 2

    Freeze your credit

    Your Social Security number was involved, so place a free credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It blocks most new accounts opened in your name.

  3. 3

    Read your insurance statements

    Look at the explanation of benefits your insurer sends. If it lists care you didn't get, tell your insurer and Sea Mar right away.

  4. 4

    Report misuse at IdentityTheft.gov

    If someone uses your details, the FTC's IdentityTheft.gov gives you a recovery plan and a way to file a report.

  5. 5

    Expect messages that mention your clinic

    Don't click links or give details to anyone who contacts you about the breach. Call Sea Mar on the number on its website instead. You can also check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches with a free Serus scan.

Official filings

Timeline

  1. The breach happened

  2. The company made it public

  3. Reported to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

  4. Reported to the California Attorney General

Frequently asked

Was I affected by the Sea Mar breach?

If Sea Mar sent you a notice letter, yes. If you were a patient and didn't get one, contact Sea Mar to ask whether your records were included.

What was exposed in the Sea Mar breach?

Sea Mar's filing with the Maine Attorney General says names and Social Security numbers. News reports of the notice mention more patient details, so check your own letter.

Is there a settlement?

According to the plaintiffs' law firm, the Washington Court of Appeals upheld a class action settlement valued at $4.4 million in 2024. Check the settlement administrator's site for how to claim.

Should I freeze my credit?

If your Social Security number was in the notice, yes. A freeze is free at all three bureaus and you can lift it whenever you apply for credit.

Sources

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