Who is a Class Member
Class members of the Delta Dental of California Class Action Settlement include “all California dentists who are or were signatories to, or are or were parties to or subject to, a Participating Dentist Agreement with Delta Dental of California for participation in its Premier network at any time from January 1, 2011, through December 27, 2017.”
If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other class action settlements you may be eligible for.
Settlement Amount
- $65,029,299.00
Estimated Award
- Varies
Based on current calculations and available data maintained by Delta Dental, it is currently estimated that approximately 14,300 Class Members will receive a portion of the amended settlement amount. Of these, approximately 6,300 are estimated to be a minimum of $500 and approximately 8,000 are estimated to ranging from $500 to approximately $465,000. The average payout is currently estimated to be approximately $4,500.
Proof of Purchase
- N/A – Your eligibility for a payment does not require you to provide documentation of fee submissions you have made; Delta Dental maintains databases that will be used for proof.
Claim Form
- N/A – It is not necessary for you to file a claim form in order to receive a portion of the amended settlement payout.
Delta Dental of California Settlement Notes
- California Dental Association, et al. v. Delta Dental of California
- Case No. CGC-14-538849
- Pending in the Superior Court for the City and County of San Francisco
In June 2014, Several dentists as well as the California Dental Association initiated this class action lawsuit alleging Delta Dental of California breach their contract in regards to determining fee reimbursements and “Contract Fees” applicable to Premier Network Dentists. Specifically, the dispute centered on Participating Dentists Agreements (PDAs) Delta Dental enacted in 2013 to reduce reimbursement rates to 12 percent. The plaintiffs claimed that this action constituted a breach of contract because Delta Dental reportedly failed to notify participating dentists of the reduction.
After 3 years of litigation, the parties entered into mediation where they hammered out details of the many complex issues raised by the plaintiffs’ claims, resulting in an initial proposed settlement of $34.75 million. However, that settlement was tossed when errors in calculations were discovered. This new proposed amended settlement supersedes and voids any former agreement and Class members who may have already received notice of the previous settlement should disregard it.
Delta Dental continues to deny each and every claim asserted against it and that it has properly determined maximum amounts allowed for fees. In addition to monetary compensation, the new amended settlement also requires Delta Dental to provide at least 120 calendar day’s advance notice of any reductions in fee reimbursements to participating dentists. Complete details about the amended settlement are provided in the Current Class Notice and other settlement documents, which are available on the Delta Dental of California Settlement website.
Class members who wish to exclude themselves or object to the terms of the Dental Dental of California Settlement must do so by March 5, 2018. Class members who do not opt out by March 5, 2018 will automatically receive monetary benefits as outlined in the Plan of Allocation; no claim form is needed.
Important Dates
- 3/5/18: Objection or Exclusion Deadline
- 4/25/18: Final Hearing at 1:30 pm PT* (class members do not need to attend this hearing in order to receive a slice of the settlement pie).
Settlement Class Members who wish to speak at the hearing should check www.DeltaDentalofCaliforniaSettlement.com to confirm that the date or time of the Hearing has not been changed.
Contact Information
- Mail: California Dental Association, et al. v. Delta Dental of California, c/o Rust Consulting, Inc., Class Notice Administrator – 5492, PO Box 2563, Faribault, MN 55021-9563
- Phone: 1-866-431-8455
- Email: info@DeltaDentalofCaliforniaSettlement.com
Class Counsel
- Paul Alexander and George Langendorf of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
Settlement Website