Most of the roughly 143,000 North Carolinians covered by the AdaptHealth debt collection settlement will not need to file anything: if you were sent a notice, the $47 payment for a “Seriously Past Due” or “Final Demand” letter arrives automatically after final approval. A much smaller group — 464 people billed for medical equipment they had returned, rejected or never received — must file a claim by December 8, 2026 to collect $3,500 each. AdaptHealth is paying $14,311,500 in total.
Status: Claims open for Class A | Claim deadline December 8, 2026 | No claim form needed for Class C members who received a notice | Final approval hearing January 20, 2027
Two Paid Groups, Two Different Paths
| Class C — collection letters | 142,539 identified people sent a “Seriously Past Due” or “Final Demand” letter tied to dates of service between April 3, 2019 and March 31, 2026, while living in North Carolina. $47 each, paid automatically to those who got a notice. |
| 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. $3,500 each, by claim. |
Both classes cover people who bought, leased or rented equipment from AdaptHealth or a company in its Family of Companies, and both are limited to people identified from AdaptHealth’s business records. A third group, a late-fee class, is resolved without any payment.
What the Lawsuit Alleged
The case is Jerry W. Ray v. AdaptHealth Corp., No. 1:22-cv-00898-TDS-JGM, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. It claims AdaptHealth violated the North Carolina Debt Collection Act, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-50 et seq., in two ways: 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.
AdaptHealth denies all allegations of wrongdoing and liability and contends its conduct complied with applicable law. The court has not decided who is right. Judge Thomas D. Schroeder signed an amended order of preliminary approval on August 20, 2026, and the administrator, JND Legal Administration, began sending notices by the court’s October 9, 2026 deadline.
If You Are in Class C
No claim form is needed if you received a notice by mail or email. You will be paid $47 automatically if the court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved.
The exception is a Class C member who never received a notice because every mailed notice came back undeliverable. That person must submit a paper Class C claim form, which asks for an AdaptHealth account number and a signed statement under penalty of perjury, by December 8, 2026.
If you cash your first payment and enough money is left over, the agreement provides for a second, pro rata distribution of at least $5 per Class C member.
If You Are in Class A
Class A members must file to be paid. The online claim form requires two things before you can start: the Unique ID printed on your notice and your AdaptHealth account number. The form itself is a signed attestation — no documents are required. The claim portal says anyone without a Unique ID can contact JND through the settlement website.
Each valid Class A claim pays $3,500. If money remains, a second pro rata distribution of at least $100 per person is possible for Class A.
How the $14.3 Million Is Divided
| Class C fund | $6,700,000 |
| Class A fund | $1,624,000 |
| Settlement administration | $450,000 |
| Attorneys’ fees and expenses fund | $5,437,500 |
| Plaintiff incentive award | $100,000 |
| Total | $14,311,500 |
None of the money goes back to AdaptHealth. Whatever remains after the second distribution goes to the Salvation Army USA Senior Services Program in Winston-Salem, subject to court approval.
Class counsel, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, will ask for fees of up to one-third of the settlement plus expenses and administration-related fees. There is a small discrepancy in the documents: the settlement agreement sets the fee fund at $5,437,500, while the long-form notice states a cap of $5,436,500. Either way, fees come from the separate fee fund, not from the class funds, so they do not reduce the $47 or $3,500 payments.
Payments go out by electronic debit card or check. Checks not cashed within 90 days become void, which also matters for the second distribution, since only Class C members who cashed their first payment are in line for it.
Deadlines and Hearing
| November 12, 2026 | Class counsel’s fee application due |
| December 8, 2026 | Class A claims (11:59 p.m. ET online; paper submitted or postmarked) and non-noticed Class C claims; exclusion requests postmarked; objections filed with the court or mailed to the Clerk |
| January 6, 2027 | Final approval brief due |
| January 20, 2027, 2:00 p.m. ET | Final approval hearing, Courtroom No. 2, Hiram H. Ward Federal Building, Winston-Salem. The court may move the hearing with notice posted only on the settlement website. |
Where to File
The official AdaptHealth settlement website links to the Class A online claim form and posts both claim forms, the long-form notice, the settlement agreement and the court’s orders. Nothing is paid until after final approval and any appeals. The AdaptHealth North Carolina settlement page on OpenClassActions.com follows the case through the January hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to file a claim to get the $47?
No, if you received a Class C notice by mail or email. You will be paid $47 automatically after final approval. Only Class C members whose mailed notices were all returned as undeliverable must file a paper Class C claim form by December 8, 2026.
Who can get $3,500?
Only the 464 Class A members identified from AdaptHealth’s records who were billed for dates of service between April 3, 2019 and April 3, 2025 for equipment they had returned, rejected or not received, and who lived in North Carolina when a bill was sent. Each must file a valid claim by December 8, 2026.
What do I need to file a Class A claim?
The Unique ID from your notice and your AdaptHealth account number. The claim is a signed attestation, and no documents are required.
Is this settlement only for North Carolina residents?
Yes. Both paid classes require that the person lived in North Carolina when the bill or collection letter was sent, and both are limited to people identified from AdaptHealth’s business records.
Will attorneys’ fees reduce my payment?
No. Fees and expenses are paid from a separate fee fund, not from the Class A or Class C funds.
When will payments be sent?
Only after the court grants final approval at or after the January 20, 2027 hearing and any appeals are resolved.
Sources
- Official settlement website — long-form notice, Class A and Class C claim forms and the online claim portal, administered by JND Legal Administration.
- Class Action Settlement Agreement dated as of April 27, 2026 (Doc. 131) and Amended Order of Preliminary Approval (Doc. 140, August 20, 2026), Jerry W. Ray v. AdaptHealth Corp., No. 1:22-cv-00898-TDS-JGM (M.D.N.C.).
- Third Amended Class Action Complaint (Doc. 105, May 20, 2025).
- OpenClassActions.com — AdaptHealth $14.3 Million North Carolina Debt Collection Settlement
Source and credit: the settlement terms, deadlines and benefit details described above are drawn from our sister site’s reporting — OpenClassActions.com: AdaptHealth $14.3 Million North Carolina Debt Collection Settlement — which tracks this case against the court-approved notice and the official settlement website and is updated as the court rules.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. OpenClassActions.org is a consumer news site, not a law firm and not the settlement administrator, and is not affiliated with any party to the case described. The allegations are allegations; unless a court has ruled, the defendants deny wrongdoing and no court has decided the merits. Deadlines, benefit amounts and payment timing can change as the court and the administrator act, so confirm current status on the official settlement website. You never need to pay anyone to file a claim or to receive a settlement payment.