The Wisconsin Dental Association and American Dental Association have received some emails and calls that reflect frustration among some of our members as to how to make a claim in the dental supply company lawsuit settlement.
Since WDA and ADA are not parties to this, we can only provide you with the information below:
- In early 2019, a federal court approved an $80 million settlement agreement in a class action lawsuit filed by several dentists against dental product companies Henry Schein, Patterson and Benco, accusing those companies of violating antitrust laws by fixing prices on dental equipment and supplies.
- The ADA was not a party to this litigation, and thus did not participate in the settlement or the discussions leading to the settlement, and is not involved in the settlement claims process. However, ADA has reviewed the court documents, which provide the following information regarding the claims process:
- After the settlement was announced, written notices were sent to all dentists included in the settlement class, with information about the settlement and deadlines to object to the settlement, request exclusion from the class, and/or register for the claims process. A website was also established to provide information about the settlement and the claims process: DentalSuppliesAntitrustClassAction.com
- Purchase History Forms were mailed on Dec. 13, 2019 to those who timely registered for the claims process. These personalized forms include totals, based on the defendants’ data, of purchases of dental supplies and/or equipment by those who have registered for the claims process. If a dentist timely registered and has not received a Purchase History Form, he or she should contact the Settlement Administrator through the ‘Contact’ section of the settlement website.
- Once dentists receive a Purchase History Form, if they agree with defendants’ records, they will be asked to sign and submit the form and will not need to provide further information. If a dentist does not agree with defendants’ records, he or she will be required to submit a Purchase History Form and supply documentation to support the claimed purchases. Purchase History Forms must be completed and returned postmarked no later than Jan. 31, 2020.
- If a dentist requires further information or has questions, the settlement website includes additional information as well as a link and phone number to contact the settlement claims administrator.
WDA sent a Hot Issues E-Lert on Oct. 18, 2019 to all members regarding this class action lawsuit. Read the E-Lert: https://mailchi.mp/wda/hotissues-1017.
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