Who qualifies for UnitedHealthcare class action lawsuit settlement?

UnitedHealthcare has settled a class action lawsuit by agreeing to pay $2.5 million, potentially resulting in payments up to $1,000 for impacted individuals. A Washington federal judge approved the settlement last month, benefiting a class of over 12,000 claimants under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. This act prohibits companies from making telemarketing calls using artificial or prerecorded voice messages without prior consent.

The lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare alleged multiple violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Lead plaintiff Frantz Samson accused the company of persistently contacting him with marketing messages despite repeatedly requesting removal from their call list. The settlement proposal includes a $20,000 service award for Samson, who initiated the suit in 2019.

To be eligible for a settlement payment, recipients must have received prerecorded phone calls from UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare and retirement teams between Jan. 9, 2015, and Jan. 9, 2019, and were not a member or authorized third party. Payments range from $350 to $1,000 per individual based on the number of filed claims. Eligible individuals should have received a settlement notice with instructions on how to file a claim online using a unique login code and password or by submitting a printed form through mail.

The deadline to file a claim is April 15, with a court decision on final approval scheduled for June 20. This resolution comes in the wake of a significant data breach affecting approximately 190 million UnitedHealth Group customers. Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth, discovered ransomware in its system, resulting in the exposure of sensitive information including customer identifications, bank records, and health data. The breach disrupted healthcare operations as providers struggled to collect payments when their systems were compromised.

Affected individuals have been notified, and the total number of impacted individuals will be confirmed at a later date. This incident underscores the critical importance of robust cybersecurity measures in safeguarding sensitive data and preserving the integrity of the healthcare industry. It serves as a reminder of the potential risks posed by cyber threats and emphasizes the need for ongoing vigilance to protect against such breaches in the future.