$228.5M Sutter Health Settlement Ends Class Action Lawsuit Over Allegedly Anticompetitive Tying Arrangements

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A $228.5 million settlement is set to resolve a class action lawsuit that alleged Sutter Health implemented unlawful “tying” arrangements on commercial health plans in an apparent attempt to establish a monopoly over inpatient hospital services in Northern California.

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The court-approved website for the Sutter Health class action settlement can be found at SutterHealthPremiumLawsuit.com.

The Sutter Health settlement received preliminary court approval on May 22, 2025 and covers individuals and employers who paid any portion of a premium for a fully insured health insurance policy from Aetna, Anthem, Blue Shield, Health Net or United Healthcare at any time from January 1, 2011 through March 8, 2021 and, when those premiums were paid by anyone who lived, worked or had an office in any of the following California counties:

• Alameda;
• Alpine;
• Amador;
• Butte;
• Calaveras;
• Colusa;
• Contra Costa;
• Del Norte;
• El Dorado;
• Glenn;
• Humboldt;
• Lake;
• Lassen;
• Marin;
• Mendocino;
• Merced;
• Modoc;
• Napa;
• Nevada;
• Placer;
• Plumas;
• Sacramento;
• San Francisco;
• San Joaquin;
• San Mateo;
• Santa Cruz;
• Shasta;
• Sierra;
• Siskiyou;
• Solano;
• Sonoma;
• Stanislaus;
• Sutter;
• Tehama;
• Trinity;
• Tuolumne;
• Yolo; or
• Yuba.

Sutter Health settlement class members who file a timely, valid claim form will receive a pro rata portion, or equal share, of the $228,500,000 settlement after the deduction of legal expenses and lead plaintiff service award payments.

To file a Sutter Health settlement claim form online, class members can visit the settlement website, click on the “File A Claim” button, and log in with the Unique ID found in their original settlement notice.

If a class member no longer has access to their Unique ID or never received a settlement notice, they may skip the ID step but may be required to provide additional proof or information regarding relevant health insurance payments later in the claim filing process, the settlement site relays.

Alternatively, class members may download a PDF of the claim form to print, fill out and return by mail to the address listed at the top of the first page of the form.

All claims must be submitted online or postmarked by September 12, 2025.

Any and all compensation to class members will be distributed only if the settlement receives final approval from the court. A hearing to determine final approval will be held on November 6, 2025.

The Sutter Health class action settlement does not cover those who paid premiums for a self-funded insurance policy, were employed by the federal government during the relevant time period, received inpatient care paid by Medicaid or Medi-Cal, or asked the court to be excluded from the deal.

The class action lawsuit against Sutter Health alleged that the company illegally used anticompetitive tying arrangements to edge out their competition, drive up prices beyond market standards and control an unfair share of the market for inpatient hospital treatments. The case alleged that consumers’ and employers’ insurance plans overpaid for hospital services a result of Sutter Health’s allegedly anticompetitive conduct.

According to the official settlement website, a jury on March 11, 2022 returned a verdict in favor of Sutter Health after a trial, and the court thereafter entered judgment in favor of Sutter on each of the plaintiffs’ claims. However, on June 4, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, reversed the final judgment and certain trial orders concerning evidence issues and jury instruction and remanded the case for a new trial.

After these events, the plaintiffs and Sutter Health agreed to settle the litigation, the website for the deal states.

Are you owed unclaimed settlement money? Check out our class action rebates page full of open class action settlements.