Dentists and dental practices in California, Wisconsin, Michigan and Massachusetts that were reimbursed by their state Delta Dental plan may be covered by proposed class actions alleging the Delta Dental companies divided up territories and coordinated to hold down what they pay dentists. No class has been certified and there is nothing to file yet.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes a class action complaint. The statements below are unproven allegations. The Delta Dental defendants have not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
What Is This About?
On April 30, 2026, dental practices filed four nearly identical proposed class actions in state courts, each against the Delta Dental company that operates in that state: Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental of Wisconsin, Delta Dental Plan of Michigan and Dental Service of Massachusetts (Delta Dental of Massachusetts). The suits allege the Delta Dental companies agreed not to compete in each other’s territories and coordinated to suppress the rates they pay dentists, in violation of each state’s antitrust law.These cases are brought by and for dental providers. Patients and people insured by Delta Dental are not part of the proposed classes and would not receive anything from them. The Delta Dental defendants have not been found liable, and the allegations have not been tested in court.
Free settlement alerts
Get notified when new class actions open to claims
Join thousands of readers who get the latest class action settlements you may qualify for — delivered straight to your inbox.
Why Four State Cases Now
The state suits follow a federal case, In re Delta Dental Antitrust Litigation, No. 1:19-cv-06734, pending in the Northern District of Illinois since 2019. In September 2025 that court denied certification of a nationwide class of dentists, finding that differences among state laws stood in the way, and the Seventh Circuit declined to hear an immediate appeal. On January 23, 2026, the court refused to let the federal plaintiffs add state-by-state classes, and the federal case is continuing on the named plaintiffs’ individual claims. The new complaints say the federal court never decided the merits of state-law class claims, so the dentists are now pursuing them state by state.What the Complaints Allege
The four complaints follow the same template. According to them:- The Delta Dental system is made up of independent companies, each with an exclusive territory, which the plaintiffs say is an agreement not to compete. There are 39 such territories, according to the California complaint.
- Each state plan holds a market share described as well above 50%, so most dentists cannot afford to leave the network.
- Through the Delta Dental Plans Association, the companies share pricing information and follow common rules for setting what they pay for each procedure, which the plaintiffs describe as price fixing.
- Participating dentists are required to accept discounts of as much as 35% or more off market rates.
- Dentist reimbursement fell about 11% after inflation from 2014 to 2022, while premiums rose.
- The companies limit competition from their own lower-cost “second brand” insurers.
- The plans hold capital reserves well above those of comparable health insurers, which the complaints cite as evidence that the reimbursement cuts were not needed.
Each complaint also includes state-specific allegations. The Massachusetts complaint, for example, cites an 8.8% fee schedule reduction for its Premier network in 2019. The other Delta Dental companies and the Delta Dental Plans Association are described as co-conspirators but are not named as defendants.
Who Could Be Included?
Each complaint proposes two classes limited to dental providers who are citizens of that state and were reimbursed by the defendant: an injunction class, and a damages class of providers who were under a Delta Dental participating provider agreement (excluding HMO and public entitlement plans). The damages class period starts April 30, 2022 in California, Michigan and Massachusetts, and April 30, 2020 in Wisconsin. Anyone who owns, works for or helps manage a Delta Dental company is excluded.What the Lawsuits Seek
The practices seek treble damages where state law allows, restitution, and court orders barring the territorial agreements and the pricing practices, with compliance reporting and court monitoring. None of the complaints states a dollar amount. Each case uses its own state’s law: the Cartwright Act and Unfair Competition Law in California, Wisconsin’s antitrust chapter 133, Michigan’s Antitrust Reform Act, and Massachusetts General Laws chapters 93 and 93A.What Happens Next?
Each case will proceed separately in its own court, and the Delta Dental companies are expected to contest them. Typical next steps are motions to dismiss, then discovery and motions for class certification. The American Dental Association has published the four complaints and says it will report on developments; it is not a party to these cases.Questions
Can Delta Dental patients join these lawsuits?
No. Every proposed class is limited to dentists and dental practices reimbursed by their state Delta Dental plan. The complaints say higher premiums hurt consumers, but patients and plan members are not class members and are not seeking relief in these cases.
Which dentists would be in the class?
Dental providers who are citizens of California, Wisconsin, Michigan or Massachusetts and were reimbursed by that state’s Delta Dental company. The damages classes also require a participating provider agreement during the class period and exclude HMO and public entitlement plans.
How are these cases different from the federal Delta Dental antitrust case?
The federal case in Illinois, filed in 2019, is continuing only on the named plaintiffs’ individual claims after the court denied a nationwide class and refused to add state classes. The four state cases seek class-wide relief under each state’s own antitrust law.
Does a dental practice need to do anything now?
No. No class has been certified and there is no settlement or deadline. If a class is certified or a case settles, the court would approve a notice to class members explaining their options.
Sources
- ADA News — Dentists file class action lawsuits against Delta Dental in four states
- Class Action Complaint v. Delta Dental of California (L.A. County Superior Court, Apr. 30, 2026)
- Summons and Class Action Complaint v. Delta Dental of Wisconsin, No. 2026CV004125 (Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Apr. 30, 2026)
- Class Action Complaint v. Delta Dental Plan of Michigan (Oakland County Circuit Court, Apr. 30, 2026)
- Class Action Complaint v. Delta Dental of Massachusetts (Suffolk County Superior Court, Apr. 30, 2026)
