Are you qualified for a UnitedHealthcare settlement payment? Instructions for filing a claim.

Some residents of New York may qualify for a potential payout of up to $1,000 as part of a settlement with UnitedHealthcare. The settlement arises from a class action lawsuit alleging that the health insurance provider placed unsolicited telemarketing calls, which violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The settlement, totaling $2.5 million, impacts over 12,000 individuals. Under federal law, companies are prohibited from using automated or prerecorded messages for telemarketing calls without prior consent from the recipient. Despite reaching a settlement, UnitedHealthcare has denied any wrongdoing.

To determine if you are eligible for compensation, you must have received one or more prerecorded calls between January 9, 2015, and January 9, 2019 from specific UnitedHealthcare teams. Individuals who were not UnitedHealthcare members or authorized third parties during this timeframe could potentially be eligible for a settlement payment. Those meeting the eligibility criteria would have already received notification via email or mail.

The exact amount of compensation that individuals may receive will be contingent on the number of claims filed. Payments are anticipated to range between $350 to $1,000 per person who qualifies. If you are in doubt about the legitimacy of a notification letter regarding the settlement, you can access information on how to file a claim through online or mail methods.

To file an online claim, individuals can navigate to the designated website and input the claim number and PIN found in the settlement notice or provide the phone number that received the calls. Alternatively, claimants can opt to download a PDF form from the website, complete it, and mail it to the specified address. All claims must be submitted by April 15, 2025, to be considered.

The final approval for the settlement will be decided by the court on June 20, 2025. If the settlement is officially sanctioned, eligible individuals who have filed claims before the deadline should expect to receive their payment. This development comes on the heels of a significant data breach within the UnitedHealth Group last February, affecting an estimated 190 million customers. The breach disrupted services at Change Healthcare, an entity under the UnitedHealth umbrella, compromising sensitive customer data.

In response to the breach, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer advocated for New York hospitals impacted by the cyberattack to receive expedited federal assistance through the Accelerated and Advance Payment Program. This program allows the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to issue advance payments to hospitals to cover lagged claims resulting from cyberattack-related disruptions. The extent of the breach’s impact on customers is still being ascertained, with affected individuals already informed of the security lapse.