Owners of Brighthouse Life Insurance universal life policies with product codes ULX or ULXP will be paid automatically from Brighthouse’s $9.25 million cost of insurance class action settlement; there is no claim form to file. The deadline to opt out is December 11, 2026, and the final approval hearing is set for January 26, 2027.
Current Status
There is no claim form: the settlement notice says class members who do nothing will receive a cash payment automatically. The deadline to opt out of the settlement is December 11, 2026. The final approval hearing is scheduled for January 26, 2027 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. No final approval order or payment date had been announced as of October 23, 2026.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
The case, Martin v. Brighthouse Life Insurance Company, has been in federal court since April 6, 2021. On September 25, 2025, U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett certified a nationwide class of ULX and ULXP universal life policyholders on the breach of contract claim, and in March 2026 the Second Circuit denied a request for an immediate appeal of that ruling. The parties then went to mediation.Brighthouse’s quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission says the company signed a settlement agreement with the plaintiff on July 27, 2026. The plaintiff asked the court to preliminarily approve the $9.25 million settlement on August 12, 2026, and the court entered its order on that motion on September 1, 2026, which set the opt-out deadline and the January 26, 2027 final approval hearing.
The lawsuit alleges that Brighthouse breached the policies by failing to lower cost of insurance rates even though expected mortality had improved. Brighthouse denies the allegations, and agreeing to settle is not an admission of wrongdoing. The court has made no finding that Brighthouse breached any policy.
Who Qualifies?
The class the court certified covers all persons who own or owned a universal life insurance policy with the product code ULX or ULXP, in any of the 50 states, Puerto Rico or any U.S. territory, that was issued or is currently administered by Brighthouse Life Insurance Company and that contains the language: “We will base these [cost of insurance] rates only on our future outlook for mortality and expenses.”The class reaches policies Brighthouse issued as well as policies it currently administers. ULX is the product the named plaintiff bought in 1984. The long-form notice on the settlement website gives the exact settlement class definition, including any time limits and exclusions, and it controls over this summary.
How Much Can Class Members Get?
The settlement creates a $9.25 million fund. After the court-approved attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses, settlement administration costs and any service award to the class representative are deducted, the remaining net fund is paid out to class members.No fixed per-policy amount has been published. Each class member’s payment is a share of the net fund under the allocation the court approves, so individual amounts will vary and are not known in advance. The court will decide the fee and expense requests at or after the January 26, 2027 hearing.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
None. This is an automatic-payment settlement: there is no claim form, no notice ID to enter and nothing to document. Payments are made to class members identified from Brighthouse’s policy records.What Is the Deadline?
There is no claim deadline. The December 11, 2026 date is the deadline to opt out (request exclusion) from the settlement. A class member who stays in does not need to take any action by that date to be paid.How Do Class Members Take Action?
Staying in the settlement requires no action. The official Brighthouse settlement website posts the settlement notice and the instructions for opting out or objecting.A class member who opts out by December 11, 2026 receives no payment and is not bound by the settlement. A class member who stays in is bound by the judgment and the settlement’s release, which gives up the claims against Brighthouse described in the settlement agreement.
What Happens Next?
Judge Garnett will hold the final approval hearing on January 26, 2027. If the court grants final approval and no appeal delays the judgment, the administrator will distribute payments to class members. No payment date had been announced as of October 23, 2026.Sources and Verification
- Official Brighthouse settlement website (settlement notice and case documents)
- Martin v. Brighthouse Life Insurance Company docket, No. 1:21-cv-02923 (S.D.N.Y.)
- Opinion and order certifying the class (September 25, 2025)
- Order approving class notice and appointing Epiq (February 5, 2026)
- Brighthouse Life Insurance Company Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026
Questions
Do Brighthouse ULX and ULXP policyholders have to file a claim?
No. The settlement notice says class members who do nothing will receive a cash payment automatically. There is no claim form. Payments depend on the court granting final approval.
Which Brighthouse policies are covered by the settlement?
The class the court certified in September 2025 covers people who own or owned a universal life insurance policy with product code ULX or ULXP, issued or administered by Brighthouse Life Insurance Company in any U.S. state, Puerto Rico or a U.S. territory, that says Brighthouse will base cost of insurance rates only on its future outlook for mortality and expenses. The settlement notice sets out the exact class definition.
What did the Brighthouse cost of insurance lawsuit claim?
The lawsuit alleges Brighthouse breached ULX and ULXP universal life policies by failing to lower cost of insurance rates even though expected mortality improved. Brighthouse denies the allegations, and the settlement is not a finding that it did anything wrong.
What happens to a class member who opts out of the Brighthouse settlement?
A class member who submits a valid exclusion request by December 11, 2026 receives no payment from the settlement and is not bound by its release, keeping any individual right to sue Brighthouse over the same claims.
When will Brighthouse settlement payments be sent?
No payment date had been announced as of October 23, 2026. The final approval hearing is scheduled for January 26, 2027, and payments can be made only after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved.
