An End-of-Year Class Action Update: Where MCAG Is Focused—and Why It Matters

As we close out the year, it’s a good moment to step back and take stock of the class action landscape—and, just as importantly, to reaffirm where MCAG focuses its efforts on behalf of our clients.

Each year brings a steady stream of new settlements, court rulings, and headline-grabbing cases. But not every class action represents a meaningful or appropriate recovery opportunity for organizations. At MCAG, our role is not to chase volume—it is to apply experience, judgment, and discipline to ensure our clients recover what they are rightfully entitled to, without unnecessary noise or risk.

With that in mind, here’s a year-end look at the four categories of class actions where MCAG files claims and why these areas will continue to matter for businesses and institutions in 2026.

Product / Anti-Competition Claims

Manufacturer price-fixing, market allocation, and antitrust misconduct

Product-based antitrust cases remain a consistent source of recovery for organizations across many industries. These claims typically arise when manufacturers or suppliers engage in unlawful conduct—such as price-fixing, bid-rigging, or market allocation—that artificially inflates the cost of goods.

Throughout 2025, courts have continued to approve settlements tied to:

• Coordinated pricing schemes

• Anti-competitive supply agreements

• Long-running industry-wide conspiracies
  

For eligible organizations, these claims often involve historical purchasing data and can result in recoveries that would otherwise go unnoticed without a structured review process.

Healthcare Claims

Improper reimbursement, underpayment, and systemic claims-handling issues

Healthcare class actions remain one of the most complex—and most consequential—areas of settlement recovery.

In 2025, we continued to see litigation tied to:

• Incorrect reimbursement methodologies

• Claims processing errors at scale

• Contractual payment disputes affecting providers and health systems
  

These cases frequently involve technical plan language, billing codes, and reimbursement formulas, making them particularly challenging for organizations to evaluate on their own. MCAG’s healthcare expertise allows us to identify where participation is appropriate and pursue recoveries efficiently and defensibly.

Pharmaceutical Claims

Over payment for drugs purchased on behalf of employees or members

Pharmaceutical litigation continues to evolve, with cases increasingly focused on pricing practices, rebates, and distribution models that may have resulted in over payments.

Eligible claims often relate to:

• Brand-name drug pricing strategies

• Delayed generic competition

• Distribution or rebate structures that increased costs for employers and plans
  

For organizations that purchase prescription drugs on behalf of employees, these settlements can represent a meaningful—but easily overlooked—source of recovery when handled correctly.

Financial Claims

Interchange fees, market manipulation, and financial misconduct

Financial class actions remain a cornerstone of institutional recovery, particularly for merchants and organizations that rely on card payments or participate in financial markets.

This year’s activity included cases tied to:

• Excessive interchange or swipe fees

• Anti-competitive payment network practices

• Market manipulation by large financial institutions
  

These claims often span many years of transactional data, making professional administration essential to ensuring volumes are properly calculated and substantiated.

A Disciplined Approach Going Into the New Year

As we head into the coming year, MCAG will continue to focus exclusively on these four categories of class actions:

• Product / Anti-Competition

• Healthcare

• Pharmaceutical

• Financial
  

This disciplined approach allows us to apply deep expertise, maintain consistency for our clients, and avoid diluting value with low-quality or speculative filings.

We look forward to another year of helping organizations navigate a complex settlement environment—quietly, professionally, and with results that matter.

For ongoing updates, settlement insights, and analysis, continue to follow the MCAG Settlement News Blog throughout the year ahead.