In the class action of UEBT v. Sutter Health filed in California state court in San Francisco on April 7, 2014, employers and labor unions accused the Northern California health system of abusing its market power charging inflated prices, in violation of California’s antitrust law. The court granted UEBT’s motion for class certification in August 2017. On March 29, 2018, the California Attorney General filed a similar antitrust suit against Sutter Health, alleging similar accusations of anticompetitive behavior and overcharging consumers and employers. The California Superior Court consolidated the two cases, with the instant case as the lead case.

The parties settled on the eve of trial in October 2019. The settlement hearings beginning Spring 2020 were then delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After initially rejecting the proposed compliance monitor, the Superior Court of San Francisco gave preliminary approval of the proposed settlement agreement in March 2021. The final approval of the settlement agreement was entered on August 27, 2021.