From preliminary approvals to agreements with the federal government, these are five recent legal settlements involving UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiaries.
1. A Minnesota federal judge gave preliminary approval Jan. 24 to UnitedHealth's agreement to pay $69 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the company prioritized its business relationship with Wells Fargo over concerns that its 401(k) plan contained low-performing target-date funds.
2. UnitedHealthcare reached a settlement Jan. 21 in Massachusetts to resolve three proposed class action lawsuits from members, alleging that the insurer wrongfully denied coverage for a specialized cancer treatment that plaintiffs claim is more effective but significantly more expensive than traditional radiation therapy.
3. A federal judge in Washington granted preliminary approval on January 15 for a $2.5 million settlement in a 2019 class-action lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare, resolving claims that the company violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by making non-emergency marketing calls to wrong numbers between 2015 and 2019. The class, estimated at 12,000 members, will each receive over $90 if all file claims.
4. Change Healthcare and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina agreed to pay $1.7 million on Jan. 2 to settle a class action lawsuit accusing them of using automated technology to send voice messages to individuals without their consent.
5. UnitedHealth Group reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor in October over allegations that it improperly denied claims for emergency room visits and urinary drug screenings for thousands of patients.