Mobile Menu

 

A tracker of major recent lawsuits filed by government and private plaintiffs against Big Medicine for allegedly violating antitrust laws and other harms to patients, providers, health plan sponsors, and workers, among others. 

Big Medicine – or monopolistic health insurance conglomerates – dominates the Fortune 20, accounting for at least seven companies and generating more than $1.8 trillion in revenue in 2023. These profits come at the expense of patients, whose outcomes continue to decline, and affordability, as healthcare spending totals more than $14,500 per person annually, among other harms.

Big Medicine has a long history of documented abuses, including violating antitrust laws, denying claims for medically necessary care, squeezing independent pharmacies and physician practices out of business, manipulating data to maximize its profits. This tracker compiles major lawsuits filed by public and private plaintiffs against Big Medicine for a wide range of harms.

Have a lawsuit to add? Email us at info@economicliberties.us.

This data was last updated March 5, 2025.

PlaintiffBig Medicine Defendant(s)SuitDate FiledNature of SuitStatus
Government
DOJUHGU.S. Department of Justice et al. v. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. and Amedisys, Inc.Nov. 12, 2024The DOJ Antitrust Division, along with attorneys general in Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York, sued UHG to block its proposed $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys, a home health and hospice care provider. The deal would eliminate competition between the two parties, driving up costs for patients who receive home health and hospice care and their insurers while driving down wages and benefits for nurses who provide such care, according to the complaint. Pending
FTCCVS Health, Cigna Group, and UnitedHealth Group (UHG)Caremark Rx, Zinc Health Services, et al., In the Matter of (Insulin)Sept. 20, 2024The FTC sued the “Big Three” PBMs –– CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and UHG’s OptumRx –– and their affiliates for allegedly engaging in anticompetitive and illegal rebating practices that inflate the list price of brand-name insulin drugs and impede patient access to cheaper generic alternatives. Pending
Eerie CountyCVS Health, Cigna Group, UnitedHealth GroupErie County v. Eli Lilly et al.Feb. 2, 2024Erie County sued Big Pharma manufacturers and the Big Three PBMs, alleging that they increased the cost of diabetes drugs in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, among other laws.Pending
DOLUHGJulie A. Su v. UMR, Inc.July 31, 2023DOL Secretary Julie Su sued UHG’s UMR, a third-party administrator for employer health plans, alleging that UMR improperly denied claims for emergency services and urinary drug screening dating to 2015. UHG agreed to pay more than $20 million to settle the suit in February 2025.Settled
DOJUHGU.S. Department of Justice et al. v. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. and Change Healthcare, Inc.Feb. 24, 2022The DOJ, along with attorneys general in Minnesota and New York, unsuccessfully sued UHG to block its acquisition of Change Healthcare, alleging that the proposed $13 billion deal would harm competition in both the commercial health insurance and health insurance claims technology markets. Indeed, after the merger, a cyberattack on Change Healthcare in February 2024 paralyzed the U.S. health care system for weeks, leaving physicians, pharmacies, and patients unable to prescribe, dispense, or access life-saving medications. Decided
State governmentUHGCommonwealth of Massachusetts v. TheMega Life and Health Insurance Company et al.
Dec. 8, 2020The Massachusetts attorney general’s office sued three UHG-owned insurance companies for misleading vulnerable consumers looking to purchase traditional health insurance into buying supplemental products “of very limited value,” among other allegations. More than four years later, the court ruled in favor of the state, requiring the defendants to pay more than $165 million in restitution and civil penalties. Decided
Local and state governmentsCVS Health, Cigna Group, and UHGIn Re: National Prescription Opiate LitigationDec. 12, 2017Nearly 200 cities, counties, and states have filed lawsuits against drug manufacturers and distributors, including UHG’s OptumRx, alleging that they violated the Controlled Substances Act, among other federal laws, and contributed to the opioid crisis. A federal panel consolidated the suits into a single multi-district case in late 2017.Pending
Private Plaintiff
UnionsCVS Health, Cigna Group, and UHGIn re: insulin pricing litigation Jan. 10, 2025The Service Employees International Union and two Ohio unions filed nearly identical lawsuits against the largest insulin drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for allegedly engaging in an illegal rebate scheme that inflated list prices. Their complaints mirror a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission against the three largest PBMs in September 2024.Pending
Provider class actionMultiPlanAmerican Medical Association and Illinois Medical Society v. MultiPlanOct. 24, 2024Plaintiffs sued MultiPlan, accusing the health data and analytics company, of conspiring with commercial health insurers –– including UHG, CVS Health, and Cigna –– to suppress physician reimbursement rates in violation of federal antitrust laws. Pending
SpecialtyCareUHGSpecialtyCare, Inc. et al. v. UnitedHealthcare, Inc.Dec. 11, 2024SpecialtyCare, a clinical facilities provider, sued UHG’s UnitedHealthcare, alleging that the insurer had deliberately delayed mandatory payments for out-of-network services in violation of the federal No Surprises Act.Dismissed
Patient and provider class actionUHGIn re: Change Healthcare, Inc., Customer Data Security Breach Litigation Jun. 7, 2024A federal panel consolidated six class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of patients and healthcare providers against UHG’s Change Healthcare. The suits allege that Change failed to safeguard patient’s personal information and providers’ ability to process insurance claims, both of which were compromised by a February 2024 cyberattack. Pending
Patient class actionCencoraKeith Wolford v. Cencora May 28, 2024Plaintiffs sued Cencora, the nation’s second-largest wholesale drug distributor, alleging that it had failed to protect personal and health information from a cyberattack, first disclosed in February 2024, that affected more than a quarter million individuals. Pending
Small business class actionUHGOsterhaus Pharmacy v. UnitedHealth Group et al.Dec. 18, 2023Osterhaus Pharmacy, an independent business in Iowa, filed class action lawsuits against UHG and CVS Health, alleging that the insurance behemoths and their PBMs had illegally clawed back payment to independent pharmacies. Pending
Emanate HealthUHGEmanate Health et al. v. Optum Health et al.Nov. 20, 2023Emanate Health, a nonprofit California health system, accused UHG’s Optum, the largest employer of physicians in the U.S., of pressuring it not to compete for primary care business and, when Emanate refused, retaliating by cutting off contracts and steering patients away from Emanate providers. Pending
Patient class actionUHGThe Estate of Gene B. Lokken and The Estate of Dale Henry Tetzloff v. UHG et al.Nov. 14, 2023The families of two deceased Medicare Advantage beneficiaries sued UHG and its subsidiary, NaviHealth, an automated care management system, alleging that they used an error-prone algorithm to deny medically necessary rehabilitation care to seniors.Pending
Patient class actionCignaKisting-Leung et al. v. CignaJuly 24, 2023Plaintiffs sued Cigna, alleging the company had wrongfully denied medical claims using an algorithm in violation of California state law.Pending
Worker class actionUHGSnyder v. UnitedHealth Group et al.April 23, 2021UHG employees alleged that their employer, UHG, had violated its fiduciary duty by mismanaging an employee retirement plan to preserve a business relationship with Wells Fargo, “a critical customer and financier.” After more than three years of litigation, UHG agreed to a $69 million settlement in December 2024. Settled
Patient class actionUHGRyan S. v. UHG et al.Jul. 11, 2019Ryan S., acting on behalf of a class, sued UHG’s UnitedHealthcare, alleging that the health insurer had violated federal behavioral health parity laws by applying a more stringent review process to mental health and substance use disorder claims than to medical and surgical claims.Pending