Natera settlement: refunds of bills over $249 or $349, or up to $50

What the Natera settlement is about

This is Calcaterra v. Natera, Inc., No. 4:23-cv-06342-YGR, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The plaintiff says Natera didn't clearly tell patients about the out-of-pocket costs they could face for two blood-based genetic screening tests: Panorama, a noninvasive prenatal test, and Horizon, a genetic carrier screening. The case traces back to a Nov 8, 2021 complaint by another patient, and the sides reached a settlement in principle on Nov 7, 2025.

Natera denies the allegations and any wrongdoing. It says it is in-network with most U.S. health plans, that the great majority of patients owe less than $249 or $349 depending on the test, and that it offers a complimentary pre-test cost estimate. It settled to avoid the cost of prolonged litigation. Natera also agreed to add billing-policy language to patient invoices and price-transparency language to its test order forms. Surprise-bill cases like this one are covered in our hidden fee settlements guide.

Don't confuse this with Natera's separate $8,250,000 settlement over the accuracy of its prenatal tests, In re Natera Prenatal Testing Litigation. That one closed to new claims after a July 24, 2026 deadline.

Who qualifies for the Natera settlement

You're in the class if Natera performed a Panorama or Horizon test for you between July 10, 2019 and Sept 2, 2026 and billed you more than the threshold for that test:

• $249 for Panorama noninvasive prenatal testing without microdeletions
• $349 for Panorama noninvasive prenatal testing with microdeletions
• $349 for Horizon genetic carrier screening

You're not in the class if insurance or another third party paid for the whole test and Natera never billed you, or if the test was done as part of a clinical trial or research study. The class covers people across the U.S., with no state limit.

A notice by email or postcard, sent on or after Oct 2, 2026, means Natera's records list you as a potential class member. Your bills and insurance explanation-of-benefits statements show what you were charged.

How much the Natera settlement pays

Natera's records sort claimants into two groups, and your group sets your ceiling. The ID at the top of your notice starts with A or B. Group A shares 94.7% of the net settlement fund pro rata, up to what they paid above the threshold. Group B draws on the rest, up to $50 each, and anything left unspent in that share goes to Group A.

The pro rata catch. The $9.5 million doesn't all reach patients. Class counsel can ask for up to 25% in fees ($2,375,000), plus about $74,590 in expenses and a service award of up to $7,500, and administration is expected to cost about $347,800. By our math, roughly $6.7 million would remain for claimants if the judge grants every request. The court counts 1,779,090 potential class members, and Group A's share grows if fewer people file. Our explainer on why settlement checks are so small covers the math.

How to file a Natera settlement claim

Filing is free. Start at the official site, GeneticScreeningTestSettlement.com, where you can file online or download a paper form. No receipts are needed to submit a claim, but Natera's records drive your group, so keep your bills and payment records in case the administrator asks.

1. Find your notice. It arrived by email or postcard on or after Oct 2, 2026 and carries an ID that starts with A or B.
2. Open the settlement site and start a claim. The online form may begin with a login that uses that ID; the court-approved claim form lists the Notice ID as something to provide if you got an email notice.
3. Enter your contact details, say which test you had (Panorama without microdeletions, Panorama with microdeletions, or Horizon), and answer whether you were billed over the threshold and whether you paid over it.
4. If you remember what you paid above $249 or $349, list it. That part is optional but speeds up verification.
5. Choose an electronic payment option, sign the statement under penalty of perjury, and submit by May 3, 2027.
6. To file by mail instead, print the claim form, sign it and send it to Settlement Administrator - 83476, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391, so it is received by May 3, 2027.

Natera settlement key dates

The opt-out and objection deadline arrives months before the claim deadline, so decide early if you're thinking of suing on your own. If you do nothing you get no payment and you give up the right to sue Natera over the pricing and billing issues in this case; personal injury claims and the separate accuracy case aren't released. Objecting doesn't stop you from filing a claim. See when opting out makes sense.

Is the Natera settlement legit?

Yes. A federal judge preliminarily approved it on Sept 2, 2026, the case number is 4:23-cv-06342-YGR, and the court appointed Kroll Settlement Administration LLC to run it. The official site is geneticscreeningtestsettlement.com and the administrator's toll-free line is 1 (833) 453-3593. Claiming costs nothing, and the court-approved claim form asks for your contact details, your test, your bill and your payment, not for medical records, a Social Security number or an insurance login.

Be wary of texts or emails demanding a fee or personal data; our guide to spotting settlement scams lists the red flags. Also make sure you're in the right case: the $8,250,000 prenatal accuracy settlement is closed to new claims, while this billing settlement is the one open until May 3, 2027.

What happens after you file

Kroll checks each claim against Natera's records. If your proof of payment isn't clear, it may contact you within 30 days after the claim deadline to ask for documents before treating you as a no-proof claimant. The judge then decides at the March 2, 2027 hearing whether to approve the settlement and the fee request, and payments go out only after that and after any appeals; the notice warns an appeal could take more than a year. Money that can't be paid out is donated to a court-approved nonprofit related to the case. If Natera ever sues to collect on one of these bills, you keep the right to raise defenses. For typical waits, see how long settlement checks take.

Where Owed fits. Owed finds the settlements you qualify for, explains them in plain English, opens the official claim form, reminds you before deadlines and tracks each claim to payout. You submit the claim yourself on the official form. Owed Pro is $2 for the first week, then $49 per year — one flat membership. Owed never takes a percentage of any payout. You can see what else you might be owed or browse all open settlements.

This post is general information, not legal advice. Owed is not a law firm or a settlement administrator; the court and the administrator decide who qualifies and how much each claim pays.

Glossary

Panorama

Natera's noninvasive prenatal screening, a blood test. The settlement has separate thresholds for versions with and without microdeletions.

Horizon

Natera's genetic carrier screening, a blood test that checks whether someone carries certain inherited conditions.

Net settlement fund

What is left of the $9.5 million after notice and administration costs, the service award and attorneys' fees and expenses.

Pro rata share

A proportional slice of a fund, which grows or shrinks depending on how many people claim.

Notice ID

The ID printed on your email or postcard notice. It starts with A or B and shows which payment group Natera's records put you in.

Opt out

Formally leaving the class to keep the right to sue on your own, which means no settlement payment.

FAQ