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BreachRecord

Banner Health Data Breach (August 2016): What Was Exposed and What To Do

Last updated Oct 20, 2026 · Based on 4 official filings · See sources

According to the notice filed with the Washington State Attorney General on Aug 3, 2016, Banner Health reported a data breach. It was also reported to the Maine Attorney General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights and the California Attorney General. People affected: 3,620,000 people (official total in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights filing, filed Aug 3, 2016).

Key facts

From 4 official filings
Organization
Banner Health
Source: Washington State Attorney General, filed Aug 3, 2016
People affected
3,620,000
Official total in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights filing, filed Aug 3, 2016
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, filed Aug 3, 2016
Incident dates
Jun 17, 2016 – Jul 7, 2016
Source: Washington State Attorney General, filed Aug 3, 2016
Source: California Attorney General, filed Aug 3, 2016
Discovered Jul 13, 2016
Source: Washington State Attorney General, filed Aug 3, 2016
Notice dates
First filed Aug 3, 2016
Source: Washington State Attorney General, filed Aug 3, 2016
Information exposed
  • Social Security number
  • Medical information
  • Date of birth
  • Name
  • Other information
Sources: Washington AG, Aug 3, 2016; Maine AG, Aug 3, 2016; HHS, Aug 3, 2016
Filed with
Free credit monitoring
No offer is stated in the filings we have. Check your letter.

What to do now

Steps chosen from the information listed in the official filings. Your own letter may list more.

  1. A credit freeze stops new credit accounts being opened in your name. It is free by law and you can lift it when you need credit: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

  2. An IP PIN stops someone else filing a tax return with your Social Security number. Get one from the IRS at irs.gov.

  3. Check the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements from your insurer for visits, prescriptions or claims you do not recognize, and contact your insurer about anything unfamiliar.

  4. Scammers often contact people after a breach, pretending to be the organization, a bank or a government agency. Do not give your Social Security number, passwords or codes to anyone who contacts you first.

  5. You can get free credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site.

  6. The Federal Trade Commission's IdentityTheft.gov gives you a personal recovery plan.

Is the letter real?

The agency published an official copy of the notice. Compare your letter with it:

Letters usually list a phone number for questions. Before calling, check that it matches the number in the official copy linked above.

Never give your Social Security number, bank details or passwords to someone who contacts you first.

Timeline

  1. Incident began (earliest date reported) source
  2. Incident ended (latest date reported) source
  3. Organization discovered the incident source
  4. Reported to Washington AG, Maine AG, HHS and California AG source

Sources

  1. Washington State Attorney General Notice filed Aug 3, 2016
    Filed as “Banner Health” · 7,916 Washington residents · Official copy of the letter
    The link opens the Attorney General's list of notices.
  2. Maine Attorney General Notice filed Aug 3, 2016
    Filed as “Banner Health” · 353 Maine residents
    The link opens the Maine Attorney General's archive of notices (2012–2020).
  3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights Breach report filed Aug 3, 2016
    Filed as “Banner Health” · total 3,620,000
    The link opens the agency's list; search it for the organization name.
  4. California Attorney General Notice filed Aug 3, 2016
    Filed as “Banner Health”

Last updated Oct 20, 2026. Our summaries are written in our own words from the official filings above. Spotted an error? Report a correction.