October 5 is the deadline for NYSUT members who subscribe to the Empire Plan to apply for a reimbursement from UnitedHealthcare, following the settlement of a lawsuit involving NYSUT.
NYSUT members who want to know if they are eligible for reimbursement under the settlement, or who have questions on how to apply for reimbursement, can call the UnitedHealthcare Class Action Litigation Help Line at 800-443-1073. Members can also obtain reimbursement forms and information about the settlement at the website of Berdon Claims Administration, at www.berdonclaims.com. A link to the UnitedHealthcare settlement is on the home page.
The settlement covers claims dating back to 1994. NYSUT heralded the settlement as a major victory for members.
Some NYSUT members have already started to receive notices informing them how to apply for their reimbursements under the $350 million settlement that NYSUT and three other unions reached with UnitedHealthcare in early 2009. The unions accused UnitedHealthcare of scheming to manipulate reimbursement rates for members who used out-of-network providers.
UnitedHealthcare was required to publicize notice of the settlement through individual mailings and advertisements. An estimated 100,000 NYSUT members subscribe to the Empire Plan.