Providence Health Lawsuit: Three Settlements, Three Different Groups of People
Questions about this case?
AI Legal Assistant · free · answers in seconds · general information, not legal advice
The Providence class action lawsuit in the news since October 4, 2026 is about spine surgery in Walla Walla — patients of two former Providence neurosurgeons, not Providence patients in general. Separately, Providence employees are in a $42.7 million 401(k) settlement and a $17 million Washington wage settlement. There is no Providence MyChart lawsuit that we could find.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Spine-Surgery Lawsuit Says Happened
The case is Angulo v. Providence Health & Services Washington. It concerns surgical patients of two neurosurgeons at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, one of whom was hired there in July 2013. According to the 175-page complaint as described by The Spokesman-Review, Providence encouraged the surgeons “to conduct spine surgeries at high-volume rates” through a productivity bonus scheme. The lawsuit alleges unnecessary, overly complex or improper procedures. One surgeon was placed on leave in May 2018, left Providence in November 2018 and later operated at MultiCare in Spokane from early 2019 to November 2021 — which is why MultiCare is in the case too.
The plaintiffs plead criminal profiteering under Washington law, negligence, negligent misrepresentation and medical negligence. These are allegations. Providence said the settlement “avoids the significant cost and ongoing disruption of prolonged litigation”; MultiCare said it would have prevailed at trial.
Case Details
The patients’ case was filed in King County Superior Court on May 13, 2022, removed to federal court in Seattle on June 30, 2022, and transferred on March 19, 2025 to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, No. 4:25-cv-05029 (court opinions on GovInfo). It is a medical-malpractice class action that seeks two classes: about 1,750 Providence surgical patients and about 475 MultiCare patients.
The 401(k) case is Halter v. Providence Health & Services, No. 2:25-cv-00210-JNW (W.D. Wash.), before Judge Jamal N. Whitehead. The wage case is Mizell v. Providence Health & Services in King County Superior Court. Before all of this, on March 17, 2022, Providence paid $22,690,458 to the United States and Washington State in a False Claims Act settlement over the same Walla Walla surgeries — money that went to the government, not to patients.
Status as of October 2026: Settlements Reached, Not Yet Final
401(k) plan members: The deadline to object was set for October 6, 2026, and the fairness hearing for October 20, 2026. Payment is automatic, with no claim form.
Washington hourly employees: According to administrator CPT Group, the deadline is December 14, 2026 and the final approval hearing is January 22, 2027.
Don't miss the claim deadline
Claims are due by December 14, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Which Group You Are In
Spine patients: the proposed Providence class is all surgical patients of the two doctors at Providence who were subject to the bonus scheme. The MultiCare class is the surgeon’s surgical patients in Spokane from May 3, 2019, through November 18, 2021. If you had other care at a Providence hospital, this case does not cover you.
401(k): anyone with an account in the Providence Health & Services 401(k) Savings Plan from January 1, 2018, through June 4, 2026, including former employees and beneficiaries.
Wages: nonexempt hourly employees of Providence or its subsidiaries in Washington State between April 23, 2022, and August 13, 2026 (per ClaimDepot’s summary of the notice).
MyChart: Providence is not in our list of MyChart privacy cases. See which hospitals are being sued on our Washington MyChart page and in why your hospital, not Epic, is the defendant.
How Much Each Settlement Pays
401(k): about $42,724,532 in total. That includes about $21.4 million in forfeiture money, three years of plan fees that Providence will pay (estimated at $15.3 million) and $6 million for fees and costs. Members get equal per-capita amounts paid into their plan accounts. Former employees’ accounts are reopened, and balances of $1,000 or less may be paid out automatically.
Wages: $17 million, split according to W-2 wages, with a $25 minimum. Use our payout calculator to see how pro-rata funds shrink.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 11,883 medical malpractice casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025:
- 32.8% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 14.5% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 32.8% and 47.3%.
- 7.9% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 33 reached a trial (3%), after a median of 29.5 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 11.7 months.
- Only 150 of them (1.3%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $1,087,500.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal medical malpractice cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Providence Lawsuits Timeline
- 1
July 2013 — Surgeon Hired in Walla Walla
A neurosurgeon later at the center of the class action joins Providence St. Mary Medical Center. He leaves Providence in November 2018.
- 2
March 17, 2022 — $22.7M Paid to the Government
Providence settles a False Claims Act case over the Walla Walla surgeries for $22,690,458. None of that money goes to patients.
- 3
May 13, 2022 — Patients Sue
The class action is filed in King County Superior Court. It moves to federal court in 2022 and to the Eastern District of Washington on March 19, 2025.
- 4
June 4, 2026 — 401(k) Class Period Ends
The 401(k) settlement covers plan members from January 1, 2018, through this date. The fairness hearing is set for October 20, 2026.
- 5
October 4, 2026 — $155.5M Spine Settlements Reported
Providence and MultiCare settle both patient classes, with $2,000 for patients treated by Dr. Dreyer, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyer. The court has not yet approved it.
- 6
December 14, 2026 — Wage Claim Deadline
This is the deadline for the $17 million Washington wage settlement. The final approval hearing is January 22, 2027.
Three Things to Watch For
Three settlements at once, one of them with big numbers in the headlines, make Providence a good cover story for scams:
“Claim your $2,000 Providence payment”
As of October 5, 2026, the spine settlement has no claim portal. The classes include more than 2,000 members, and no notice process has been announced yet. A page asking any Providence patient for a Social Security number is collecting data.
“Providence MyChart settlement” messages
There is no Providence MyChart settlement. A text that links a MyChart-style login page to a “settlement” is phishing for your portal password. Log in only through the app or the address you normally use.
401(k) “fees” or rollover pitches
The 401(k) money goes into your plan account automatically, with no claim and no fee. A caller offering to “release” your share or roll it over for a charge is not the administrator (Analytics Consulting LLC).
Providence Lawsuits — Questions People Actually Ask
What is the Providence class action lawsuit in the news?
It is Angulo v. Providence Health & Services Washington, brought by spine-surgery patients of two former neurosurgeons at Providence St. Mary in Walla Walla. On October 4, 2026, Providence and MultiCare were reported to have settled for a combined $155.5 million, subject to court approval.
I was a Providence patient. Am I part of the Providence health lawsuit?
Only if you had surgery with one of those two neurosurgeons. If you are in the class, how and when you will be notified has not been announced. Patients with other care at Providence hospitals are not in this class.
How much will spine-surgery patients get, and when?
According to the patients’ lawyer, $2,000 for everyone treated by Dr. Jason Dreyer, and more if a surgery is found unnecessary, excessive or substandard. The lawyer hopes the settlement will be final sometime after January 1. No date has been confirmed.
Is there a Providence MyChart lawsuit?
We could not find one as of October 5, 2026. Providence is not among the health systems in our MyChart case list. MyChart privacy suits name the hospital, not Epic. See our MyChart claim form guide for the hospitals that do have settlements.
I worked at Providence. What about the 401(k) settlement?
If you had a plan account between January 1, 2018, and June 4, 2026, you are in the class. There is no claim form and you cannot opt out. Your equal share goes into your plan account after final approval. The fairness hearing is set for October 20, 2026. Details are on the official 401(k) settlement website.
What about the Providence wage settlement?
The $17 million Mizell settlement covers nonexempt hourly workers in Washington between April 23, 2022, and August 13, 2026, over missed breaks and unpaid time. Administrator CPT Group lists December 14, 2026 as the deadline. Check the notice you received for what you need to submit.
Did Providence admit wrongdoing?
No. In the 401(k) case, the defendants deny all claims. In the spine case, Providence described settling as a way to avoid prolonged litigation. The $22.7 million paid in 2022 resolved the government’s allegations, not the patients’ claims.
How do I know a letter about a Providence settlement is real?
Check the case name and number against this page: 4:25-cv-05029 (spine), 2:25-cv-00210 (401(k)) or King County Mizell (wages). Real administrators never charge a fee. Other open deals are on our open settlements list.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
Related Consumer Brand Lawsuits
MyChart Lawsuits in Washington
Which Washington health systems face MyChart privacy suits
MyChart Claim Form Guide
Hospitals with open MyChart settlements and deadlines
Open Class Action Settlements
Settlements accepting claims right now, with deadlines
Settlement Payout Calculator
Estimate a pro-rata share of a settlement fund