Brian Hendricks and Andrew Sagalongos v. Aetna Life Insurance Company, Case No. 2:19-cv-6840-AB (“Hendricks Action”) and Andrew Howard v. Aetna Life Insurance Company, Case No.2:22-cv-01505-AB (“Howard Action”)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
Case No. 2:19-CV-6840-AB (MAAx) Consolidated w/2:22-cv-01505-AB (MAAx)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
The date of the Final Approval Hearing has been moved to June 5, 2026.
NOTICE OF PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
If you had a precertification request or post-service claim for single-level lumbar artificial disc replacement denied by Aetna Life Insurance Company as experimental or investigational, you could receive relief from a class action Settlement.
A court authorized the Notice. You are not being sued. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer.
This settlement notice relates to a class action for members of ERISA-governed health plans insured or administered by Aetna Life Insurance Company (Aetna), who were denied coverage for single-level lumbar artificial disc replacement surgeries (L-ADR) between August 7, 2016 (Hendricks Action) or March 4, 2019 (Howard Action) and February 8, 2023.
There are three different forms of relief available under a Settlement Agreement with Aetna who were denied coverage for single-level L-ADR:
• Persons who paid out-of-pocket for single-level L-ADR are eligible for reimbursement up to $55,000.
• Persons who have not yet undergone the surgery, and are currently covered by ERISA-governed health plans administered or insured by Aetna, can submit new coverage requests for single-level L-ADR, which will be determined under the terms of this Settlement.
• Persons who have not yet undergone the surgery, but are no longer covered under an ERISA-governed health plan administered or insured by Aetna, are eligible for reimbursement up to $55,000 for a future surgery if the person does not have coverage for single-level L-ADR through another health plan that covers single-level L-ADR or any reasonable ability to enroll in individual health coverage that provides coverage for single-level L-ADR.
Court-appointed lawyers for the class will ask the Court for up to $2,556,000 in attorneys’ fees and expenses, to be paid separately by Aetna, for investigating the facts, litigating the case, and negotiating the Settlement.
Your legal rights are affected whether you act or don’t act. Read the Notice carefully.
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THIS SETTLEMENT:
| SUBMIT A CLAIM FORM | The only way to get relief under the Settlement. |
| EXCLUDE YOURSELF | If you choose to exclude yourself, you will lose the ability to seek reimbursement for a prior single-level ADR or coverage for future single-level L-ADR under the terms of the Settlement, but you can bring your own lawsuit. |
| OBJECT TO THE SETTLEMENT | Advise the Court of your disagreement with the Settlement. |
| GO TO A HEARING | Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the Settlement, at a hearing the Court has scheduled for March 27, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. |
| APPEAR THROUGH AN ATTORNEY | If you desire, you may enter an appearance in this case through an attorney at your own expense. |
These rights and options—and the deadlines to exercise them—are explained in the Notice.
The Court in charge of this case still has to decide whether to approve the Settlement. Relief under the Settlement will be provided if the Court approves the Settlement, if any appeals relating to the Settlement are resolved, and after Claim Forms and supporting documentation are provided. Please be patient.