LifeStance Health Group has agreed to a proposed $3.03 million class action settlement over allegations that tracking technologies on its public website collected and disclosed patients’ personally identifiable information to third parties.
The case is Montana Strong, et al. v. LifeStance Health Group Incorporated, pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. LifeStance denies wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled that the company violated the law. The settlement still requires final approval before payments can be distributed.
What Is the LifeStance Settlement About?
The lawsuit alleged that LifeStance used third-party tracking technologies, commonly called pixels, on its public website. According to the complaint, these technologies allegedly collected information connected with patients and transmitted information to third parties, including companies such as Meta and Google.
The plaintiffs alleged violations of several federal and state privacy laws. LifeStance denied the allegations and maintained that it did not engage in unlawful conduct. Rather than continue the litigation through class certification, trial and possible appeals, the parties negotiated a proposed settlement.
How Much Is the LifeStance Settlement?
Under the agreement, LifeStance will establish a non-reversionary settlement fund totaling $3,027,874.44.
The fund is divided into two parts. Settlement Subclass 1 receives a fund of $1,203,405, while Settlement Subclass 2 receives $1,824,469.44.
Eligible class members who submit approved claims will receive pro rata cash payments from the fund assigned to their subclass. The final payment amount is not fixed because it will depend on the number of valid claims and deductions approved by the court for attorneys’ fees, expenses, service awards and settlement administration costs.
Who Is Eligible for the LifeStance Settlement?
The settlement creates two groups of eligible patients.
Settlement Subclass 1 includes people in LifeStance’s patient population who booked at least one session through the online booking tool accessed through LifeStance.com between March 1, 2020 and April 30, 2023.
Settlement Subclass 2 includes other members of LifeStance’s patient population during the same March 1, 2020 through April 30, 2023 period who are not included in Subclass 1.
People who received an official notice should review the notice carefully because it can help confirm which subclass applies to them.
How Much Money Can Claimants Receive?
There is no guaranteed dollar payment listed for each claimant.
Instead, approved claimants will share the available money in their respective subclass fund on a pro rata basis. This means that each valid claimant in the same subclass generally receives a share based on the number of approved claims rather than the number of appointments booked or the number of times the person visited the LifeStance website.
Because the total number of valid claims will not be known until the claims process closes, the final individual payment amount cannot yet be calculated.
What Is the LifeStance Settlement Claim Deadline?
The deadline to submit a claim is September 29, 2026.
Class members can submit a claim electronically through the official settlement website. Paper claim forms must be postmarked by September 29, 2026.
Submitting a valid claim is the only way to receive a cash payment from the settlement. A class member who does nothing will not receive settlement benefits and, if the settlement becomes final, will generally release the claims covered by the agreement.
Other Important Settlement Deadlines
The deadline to exclude yourself from the settlement is August 31, 2026. The same August 31 deadline applies to objections or comments about the proposed settlement.
The final approval hearing is scheduled for October 16, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. Mountain Time. At that hearing, the court will consider whether the agreement is fair, reasonable and adequate and whether final approval should be granted.
Payments will not be issued simply because a person files a claim. The settlement must first receive final approval and become effective, and any appeals may need to be resolved before distribution begins.
What Changes Must LifeStance Make?
The proposed settlement includes more than cash compensation.
LifeStance has agreed that it has discontinued, or will discontinue, third-party tracking pixels that do not comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, for five years from the effective date of the settlement.
This requirement is intended to address the privacy practices at the center of the lawsuit while the monetary fund provides potential compensation to eligible class members.
Did LifeStance Admit Wrongdoing?
No. The settlement is a compromise and does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing or liability by LifeStance.
The company has denied the plaintiffs’ claims throughout the litigation. The parties agreed to settle after mediation and further negotiations rather than continue with the expense and uncertainty of additional litigation.
What Should Eligible Patients Do Now?
Anyone who received a LifeStance pixel settlement notice should check the information on the notice and determine whether they fall within Subclass 1 or Subclass 2.
Those who want a cash payment must submit a valid claim by September 29, 2026. People who want to preserve their right to pursue separate claims covered by the settlement must follow the exclusion procedure by August 31, 2026.
For now, there is no confirmed payment date and no guaranteed individual cash amount. The most important current development is that claims are open for the proposed $3.03 million LifeStance privacy settlement, with final court approval scheduled to be considered in October 2026.
