Published
October 14, 2025
Updated
August 1, 2026
This page covers the HFD compensation plan for certain SmilePay customers left with incomplete SmileDirectClub treatment—not the separate Align antitrust settlement. Automatic credits required no action, but the March 11, 2025 deadline for additional refund requests has passed.
Current Status
Healthcare Finance Direct's compensation plan is closed to new step-up refund requests. The plan was developed with the New York Attorney General after SmileDirectClub stopped operating in December 2023. Some eligible customers received automatic reductions to their installment balances or refunds, while customers seeking an additional step-up amount had to return an individualized Refund Request Form by March 11, 2025. HFD's public FAQ does not post a newer aggregate distribution report, so customers should consult their own HFD account history and the official FAQ for the program terms.StatusAutomatic Relief Applied; Request Period Closed
Request DeadlineMarch 11, 2025 — Passed
Program Cap$4.8 Million
Potential Automatic Credit$89 or $267, Depending on Treatment Stage
What Was the Compensation Plan?
SmileDirectClub filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 29, 2023, stopped its global operations on December 8, 2023, and later entered Chapter 7. Customers with unfinished aligner treatment were told that the company would no longer provide services or honor its former lifetime guarantee, yet many SmilePay installment contracts continued to be serviced. HFD and other interested parties worked with the New York Attorney General to create a nationwide compensation plan for certain former U.S. customers. The program was an account-relief and refund agreement; it was not the Snow v. Align Technology antitrust class settlement.Who Was Potentially Eligible?
The plan generally addressed U.S. SmilePay customers who had an active retail installment contract as of December 8, 2023, were not delinquent, and had not completed their aligner treatment. The amount of relief depended on whether the initial aligners had been delivered, when treatment began, how much treatment remained, and the outstanding installment balance. HFD sent eligible customers program information and an individualized request form using the account information it had on file.What Automatic Relief Was Available?
Customers who received their initial aligners on or after November 8, 2023—within the first 30 days before the shutdown—were eligible for an automatic refund equal to three installment payments, or $267. Customers who were more than 30 days into treatment could receive an automatic refund equal to one $89 installment payment or another pro-rated reduction tied to the remaining treatment. Automatic amounts were first applied to the outstanding HFD balance. Any amount exceeding the balance could be returned through the payment method associated with the account.What Was the Additional Step-Up Refund?
Some customers could request additional relief based on the incomplete portion of their treatment. That step-up refund was not automatic: the customer had to complete the Refund Request Form included with HFD's notice and return it by March 11, 2025. The combined automatic and step-up relief was capped at $4.8 million. If approved requests pushed the total over the cap, the step-up amounts could be reduced by the same percentage across participating customers.Why the Old $267 Headline Was Incomplete
The earlier page described the payout simply as $267, but that amount applied only to one treatment category. Other eligible customers could receive $89, a pro-rated balance reduction, or an additional step-up amount. Relief could appear as a smaller amount owed on an installment account instead of a check. The updated presentation keeps the original dollar examples while explaining that no single flat payment applied to every customer.No New Request Can Be Filed
The individualized request deadline has passed, and the plan did not create an ongoing public claim portal. Customers did not need to act for the automatic portion, but they cannot now start a new step-up request through the separate Align settlement website. The authoritative program terms remain on HFD's SmileDirectClub FAQ.Official Information
Review the latest information on the HFD SmileDirectClub compensation-plan FAQ website.
Program
SmileDirectClub Compensation Plan
Administrator
Healthcare Finance Direct
Status
Automatic relief applied; extra-refund deadline passed
Program Cap
$4.8 million
Request Deadline
March 11, 2025
Separate Matter
Not the Snow v. Align antitrust settlement
Official Website
HFD SmileDirectClub compensation-plan FAQ
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