The lawsuit claims NorthShore raised its rates after it acquired Highland Park Hospital, overcharging purchasers of inpatient hospital services, and it did so in a way that is alleged to be illegal under antitrust laws. The lawsuit claims that people and businesses paid more for these inpatient hospital services than they should have. NorthShore denies the claims in this lawsuit and that it did anything wrong.

The Court has not decided the merits of the case in favor of the Current Class or NorthShore. Instead, both sides have agreed to a Settlement. By agreeing to the Settlement, both sides avoid the costs and uncertainty of a trial, and members of the Current Class receive the benefits described in this Notice. The proposed Settlement does not mean that any law was broken or that NorthShore did anything wrong. The Lead Counsel believes that the Settlement is best for all members of the Class.

Generally, you are included in the Settlement if you are in the United States or Puerto Rico and paid for inpatient hospital services directly from NorthShore (formerly called ENH), from February 10, 2000 to December 31, 2015. You may have seen a previous notice that stated purchasers of outpatient hospital services were included in the Class. The Class has changed to include only those who purchased inpatient hospital services. Some members of the original class are not members of the current Class. Additional information, including the full class definition and who is not included, is available in the Settlement Agreement.

A $55 million Settlement Fund will pay (1) attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses; (2) notice and administration costs; (3) an incentive award to the Class Representative; and (4) money to eligible members of the Current Class according to a Court-approved Plan of Allocation.

The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing on May 6, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Courtroom 2341, Chicago, IL 60604. The hearing may be moved to a different date or time without additional notice, so it is a good idea to check this website for updates.

At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If there are objections, the Court will consider them and may listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. The Court may also decide whether to award attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, as well as an incentive award to the Class Representative. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement and financial requests herein. We do not know how long these decisions will take.