AdaptHealth $14.3M North Carolina Debt Collection Settlement — $47 Automatic or $3,500

Debt Collection · Claims Open

Current Status

Claims are open for Class A members, and the claim deadline is December 8, 2026. Class C members who received a notice by mail or email do not file a claim; they will be paid $47 automatically if the court approves the settlement. Judge Thomas D. Schroeder of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina signed an amended order of preliminary approval on August 20, 2026, and the final approval hearing is January 20, 2027 at 2:00 p.m. ET. No payments go out until after final approval and any appeals.

What Changed Recently?

The settlement administrator began sending notices by the court’s October 9, 2026 deadline after Judge Schroeder preliminarily approved the settlement in Jerry W. Ray v. AdaptHealth Corp., No. 1:22-cv-00898. The lawsuit claims AdaptHealth violated the North Carolina Debt Collection Act, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-50 et seq., by billing customers for medical equipment, supplies and other products they had returned, rejected or did not receive, and by sending “Seriously Past Due” and “Final Demand” letters that the plaintiff alleges suggested possible legal action. A third group, a late-fee class, is resolved without any payment.

AdaptHealth denies all allegations of wrongdoing and liability and contends that its conduct complied with applicable law. The court has not decided who is right.

Who Qualifies?

The settlement covers people who bought, leased or rented equipment from AdaptHealth or any of the companies in its Family of Companies and lived in North Carolina at the relevant time. There are two paid classes, and each is limited to people identified from AdaptHealth’s business records:

Class C (collection letters): 142,539 identified people who were sent a “Seriously Past Due” or “Final Demand” letter associated with dates of service between April 3, 2019 and March 31, 2026, while living in North Carolina.

Class A (billing claims): 464 identified people who returned, rejected or did not receive equipment and were billed for one or more dates of service between April 3, 2019 and April 3, 2025 when they did not have it, while living in North Carolina when at least one bill was sent.

How Much Can You Get?

AdaptHealth will pay $14,311,500 in total. The settlement agreement divides it into a $6,700,000 fund for Class C, a $1,624,000 fund for Class A, $450,000 for settlement administration, a $5,437,500 fund for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and a $100,000 incentive award for the plaintiff. None of the money goes back to AdaptHealth.

Each Class C member receives $47. Each Class A member who submits a valid claim receives $3,500. The agreement provides for a second, pro rata distribution if enough money is left over: at least $5 per person for Class C members who cashed their first payment, or at least $100 per person for Class A. Anything remaining after that goes to the Salvation Army USA Senior Services Program in Winston-Salem, subject to court approval. Payments are made by electronic debit card or check, and checks not cashed within 90 days become void.

Class counsel, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, will ask for attorneys’ fees of up to one-third of the settlement amount plus expenses and administration-related fees. The settlement agreement’s fee fund is $5,437,500, while the long-form notice states a cap of $5,436,500. Fees come from the fee fund, not from the class funds.

What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?

Class C members who received a notice by mail or email do not need to do anything to receive $47. Class C members who did not receive a notice, because every mailed notice was returned as undeliverable, must submit a paper Class C claim form, which asks for an AdaptHealth account number and a signed statement under penalty of perjury.