If you took part in a Dartmouth-Hitchcock retirement plan any time from 2016 to 2026, you may receive an automatic share of this $850,000 ERISA settlement — no claim form to file.
What Is This Settlement About?
If you work or used to work at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and participated in one of the company's retirement plans, you may be entitled to an automatic payment from an $850,000 settlement — and you do not need to file a claim form to get it.Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic agreed to pay $850,000 to resolve a proposed class action accusing it of breaching its fiduciary duties under ERISA, the federal law that governs employer retirement plans. The complaint alleged that the people responsible for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Retirement Plan and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Employee Investment Plan — two large defined contribution plans that together held roughly $1.9 billion in retirement savings — allowed the plans to pay excessive recordkeeping and administrative fees, and failed to adequately monitor the committee charged with overseeing those costs. The plaintiffs argued that prudent fiduciaries would have used the plans' size to negotiate lower fees, and that the excess costs reduced participants' retirement savings over time.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock denies all of the allegations and maintains that it managed the plans properly and in participants' best interests. The court has not decided who is right. The parties agreed to settle to avoid the cost and risk of continued litigation. This is the same kind of retirement-plan fee case behind other recent agreements, including the NextEra Energy 401(k) ERISA settlement and the Capital One 401(k) ERISA settlement.
Who Qualifies?
You are a class member if you participated in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Retirement Plan and/or the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Employee Investment Plan at any time between March 18, 2016 and March 25, 2026. The class includes current employees with an active Plan account, former employees who had a Plan account during that period (even if the account is now closed), beneficiaries of deceased participants, and alternate payees under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO).Free settlement alerts
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Do I Need to File a Claim?
No. This is one of the settlements where you do not need to do anything to get paid. Your share is calculated automatically from the Plans' own records, so there is no claim form and no documentation to submit.If you still have an active account in one of the Plans, your share of the settlement will be deposited directly into your Plan account. If you are a former participant, the settlement administrator will mail a check to the same address where your settlement notice was sent. If you have moved since leaving Dartmouth-Hitchcock, make sure your current mailing address is up to date so your check reaches you — you can reach the settlement administrator through the official settlement website.
How Much Can You Get?
Your payment depends on how much and how long you participated in the Plans during the class period. The settlement administrator divides the net fund proportionally among class members based on Plan records, so participants with larger balances over more of the class period generally receive larger shares.The total settlement fund is $850,000. Before money is distributed, the court must approve deductions for attorneys' fees, the cost of the independent fiduciary who reviews the deal on the Plans' behalf, settlement-administration costs, any taxes, and case contribution awards of up to $10,000 each for the three class representatives. Class Counsel intend to ask the court for attorneys' fees of one-third of the fund (about $283,333) plus expenses not to exceed $150,000. Whatever the court approves is subtracted, and the remaining "net settlement amount" is divided on a pro rata basis among class members according to the Plan of Allocation posted on the settlement website.
One minimum-payment rule applies: a former participant whose calculated share would be $5 or less will not receive a distribution. Current participants are not subject to that floor. Because the fund is split across a large group of participants, individual amounts will vary widely, and exact per-person figures will not be known until the administrator runs the Plan of Allocation.
Can I Opt Out?
No. The court certified this as a mandatory class under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(1) for settlement purposes, so class members cannot exclude themselves or "opt out" to pursue their own claims. If the settlement is approved, you will be bound by it and by its release of claims.You can, however, object. If you disagree with any part of the settlement, the attorneys' fee request, or the case contribution awards, you may file a written objection with the Clerk of the Court — it must be filed on or before July 14, 2026. The notice spells out exactly what an objection must include (the case name and number, your name and contact information, a statement that you are a class member, the grounds for your objection, and whether you intend to appear at the hearing). Objecting does not affect your right to receive a settlement payment. For the full objection procedure, review the official settlement notice on the settlement website. Mandatory 23(b)(1) certification is standard in retirement plan cases, because the claims belong to the plan rather than to participants individually — the Ricoh USA Retirement Savings Plan settlement is built the same way, with automatic payments and no exclusion available.
What Are the Important Dates?
Class Period: March 18, 2016 – March 25, 2026
Objection Deadline: July 14, 2026 (no opt-out — mandatory class)
Final Approval Hearing: August 13, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. (U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, Concord)
Claim Form: Not required — payments are automatic
What Happens If I Do Nothing?
If you are a class member and do nothing, you still participate in the settlement automatically. Class members with an active Plan account will have their share deposited into the Plan; former participants with a valid address on file will receive a check after the court grants final approval. You do not need to take any action to be paid.Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to file a claim for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock ERISA settlement?
No. Payments are automatic. If you still have an active account in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Retirement Plan or Employee Investment Plan, your share is deposited into your Plan account. If you are a former participant, the settlement administrator mails you a check. There is no claim form to file.
How much will I get from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock retirement plan settlement?
Your share is a pro rata portion of the net fund based on your account balance in the Plans during the class period (March 18, 2016 through March 25, 2026). The $850,000 fund is divided proportionally after court-approved attorneys' fees, costs, and administration expenses. Exact amounts are set by a court-approved Plan of Allocation closer to the hearing.
Who qualifies for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock ERISA settlement?
Current and former participants and beneficiaries in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Retirement Plan and/or the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Employee Investment Plan at any time between March 18, 2016 and March 25, 2026, including beneficiaries of deceased participants and alternate payees under a QDRO.
What was the Dartmouth-Hitchcock ERISA lawsuit about?
The lawsuit alleged Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic breached its ERISA fiduciary duties by letting its two retirement plans pay excessive recordkeeping and administrative fees and by failing to adequately monitor the committee responsible for the plans. Dartmouth-Hitchcock denies any wrongdoing; the court has not ruled on the merits.
When is the Dartmouth-Hitchcock settlement final approval hearing?
The final approval (fairness) hearing is scheduled for August 13, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., before Judge Landya B. McCafferty in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire (Concord). The deadline to object is July 14, 2026. This is a mandatory Rule 23(b)(1) class, so class members cannot opt out. Payments are issued after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved.
Official Settlement Notice
Sources
• Official Settlement Site — DartmouthHitchcockERISASettlement.com• Adams v. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic, No. 1:22-cv-00099-LM (D.N.H.) — court-authorized settlement notice and settlement agreement
• Union Leader — Federal judge gives preliminary approval to $850,000 Dartmouth Health settlement
