Image credit: Josh Kirschner via ChatGPT
If you filled prescriptions for certain generic drugs between 2009 and 2019, you have until Monday, November 9, to claim a share of $475 million in class-action settlements.
The money comes from two settlements, $275 million from Sandoz and Fougera and $200 million from Sun Pharmaceutical and Taro. Both resolve allegations that generic drugmakers conspired to fix prices, leaving consumers and insurers paying more than they should have. The companies deny wrongdoing, and both settlements have already won final court approval. Two additional settlements with Apotex and Heritage bring the overall total to $533 million, but that extra $58 million is available only to insurers and other third-party payers.
The list of covered drugs is long, nearly 200 in all, and it includes some of the most widely prescribed medications in the country. Levothyroxine, prednisone, fluoxetine, amitriptyline, celecoxib, metformin ER, generic Adderall and gabapentin are all on it. But the list is specific about forms and strengths. Gabapentin, for example, counts only as 600 mg and 800 mg tablets, and azithromycin only as an oral suspension. Use the drug lookup tool on the settlement site before you go hunting for old records.
To be eligible, you must have paid for a covered drug between May 1, 2009, and December 31, 2019, in any state except Indiana and Ohio, or in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Consumers whose purchases were covered by Medicaid are excluded.
Finding the documentation may be the biggest hurdle. Some qualifying purchases date back 17 years, and many people won't have receipts or pharmacy records going back that far.
The claim form asks you to list each covered drug and the total you paid out of pocket over the period. For every drug you list, you must upload at least one proof of purchase from the covered period. A receipt, an account statement or an itemized purchase history from your pharmacy all qualify. You don't need proof of every refill, but the administrator may review your supporting records and reduce or reject a claim it can't substantiate.
The claim site also doesn't allow you to save a draft of your submission, so you will need all of the prescription information you wish to claim pulled together before you begin. If you’d rather use paper, you can download the form or call the claims administrator to have one mailed to you. Online claims must be submitted by November 9, while mailed forms must be postmarked by that date.
You can choose to be paid by direct deposit, Zelle, PayPal, Venmo or a paper check. No payment amount has been set. What you get will depend on your total spend and how many valid claims are filed.
To check eligibility and file a claim, visit the official settlement website at genericdrugsendpayersettlement.com. You can also call the claims administrator at 877-316-0171.
