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.

Court Documents:

8/27/2021: Final Approval Order
8/27/2021: Order Re Plaintiffs’ Counsel’s Joint Motion for Attorneys’ Fees, Costs, and Service Award
3/10/2021: Amended Order Granting Plaintiffs’ Renewed Motion for Preliminary Approval of Settlement
9/22/2020: Order Re (1) Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Approval; and (2) Plaintiffs’ Unopposed Motion to Appoint a Monitor
8/24/2020: The Parties’ Joint Submission in Response to the Court’s August 13, 2020 Order Re Appointment of the Monitor
5/29/2020: Transcript of Status Conference re Preliminary Approval Hearing
5/28/2020: Letter Dated May 28, 2020 to Judge Anne-Christine Massullo, from Attorneys for Defendant
2/25/2020: Order re (1) Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Approval of Settlement; and (2) Plaintiffs’ Motion to Appoint a Monitor
12/20/2019: Proposed Settlement Agreement
3/29/2018: Complaint: California ex rel. Xavier Becerra v. Sutter Health
10/27/2015: Appellate Court Order: Denial of Sutter’s motion to compel arbitration
4/7/2014: Complaint: UEBT v. Sutter Health

Case Watch Related Articles:

8/30/2021: Court Approval of Final Settlement Concludes State Antitrust Action Against Sutter Health
12/14/2020: 60 Minutes Episode: “The High Cost of Healing” Highlights Sutter Health Antitrust Case
10/6/2020: Court Officially Rejects Sutter’s Proposed Settlement Due to Inadequate Compliance Monitor Selection
8/13/2020: Sutter Health Preliminary Approval of Settlement Agreement Held up by Compliance Monitor Selection
7/10/2020: Approval Hearing of Sutter Health Settlement Moves Forward Despite COVID-19
7/10/2020: Approval Hearing of Sutter Health Settlement Moves Forward Despite COVID-19
6/11/2020: The Landmark Sutter Health Antitrust Case was Settled. Will COVID-19 Uproot it Like it Did Everything Else?
1/15/2020: A Huge Deal: Settlement Terms of Sutter Health Antitrust Case Will Promote Transparency and Competition in California Provider Markets
12/20/2019: Settlement Terms Released for Landmark Antitrust Case against Sutter Health
10/30/2019: Source Executive Editor Jaime King Discusses Sutter Health Settlement in Podcast
10/16/2019: Sutter Health Settles Massive Antitrust Suit to Avoid Trial
10/10/2019: Sutter Trial Delayed Due to Jury Trouble
10/9/2019: Jury Trial in Antitrust Case Against Sutter Health Set to Begin
10/7/2019: A Look at the Legal Arguments Through the Lens of the Court’s Denial of Sutter’s Motions for Summary Judgment
9/27/2019: A Look at the Alleged Anticompetitive Contract Terms in the Legal Action Against Sutter
8/15/2019: Court Sets Antitrust Standards, Readying the Stage for Trial
3/30/2018: California Attorney General Sues Sutter Health for Anticompetitive Practices
8/22/2017: Class Certification Granted in UFCW & Employers Benefit Trust v. Sutter Health
4/29/2016: Sutter Plaintiffs Picking Up Steam in CA Antitrust Case
4/28/2016: Sutter loses appeal re arbitration|must litigate against union in state court