The proposed $2,250,000 settlement is for insured South Carolina patients whose medical bills were not submitted to their health insurer and who had their recovery reduced or paid the hospitals as a result. The claim deadline passed on August 31, 2026, and the court has not yet granted final approval.
Benefit Summary
Members with timely, valid claims: Eligible insured patients who submitted a valid claim by the published August 31, 2026 deadline.
Each payment is a proportional share of the net fund based on the recognized amount paid by or for the patient that could have been billed to health insurance. The number of valid claims, their losses and court-approved expenses affect the amount. The notice does not promise full reimbursement.
Payments come from the money remaining after approved representative awards, notice and administration expenses, and legal fees and costs. Counsel planned to request about 40% of the gross fund, approximately $50,000 in expenses and up to $30,000 total in named-plaintiff awards. These requests require court approval. Payment depends on final approval and resolution of appeals.
Available Awards
Share based on approved loss
Who Is Included
Individuals treated from January 1, 2014 at a South Carolina entity owned by or affiliated with the defendants, including Mary Black Health System and Gaffney H.M.A., while covered by valid health insurance, whose bills were not submitted to that insurer and who instead paid the defendants or had a recovery reduced because of the challenged billing policy. Commercial insurance, Medicare and Medicaid are included. Employees of the defendants, court employees and their immediate families, and valid opt-outs are excluded.
- Products included: Covered healthcare treatment at South Carolina entities owned by or affiliated with the defendants
- Purchase window: Treatment from January 1, 2014; the notice does not specify an ending date
- Proof required: A signed claim was required. If the stated loss was disputed or unknown, claimants had to state their loss and supply supporting records. Agreeing with an existing recorded loss is a different procedure.
Claim and Payment Information
- Claim method: Email or mail
- Claim deadline: 2026-08-31
- Instructions: The published deadline was August 31, 2026. The official site still listed that date when checked September 8, 2026; no extension was found there. The stated process was to complete, sign and date the claim form and email it to [email protected] or mail it, postmarked by the deadline, to Mary Black Class Settlement, c/o The Notice Company, PO Box 455, Hingham, MA 02043. Do not assume late claims are accepted. Contact the administrator at 1-800-789-6490 about your existing claim or any deadline question. See https://maryblackclassaction.com/how-to-get-a-monetary-payment/.
Questions & Answers
Was having an unbilled insurance claim enough to qualify?
No. The definition also requires that the patient paid the defendants or had a recovery reduced as a result of the billing policy. Valid insurance had to cover the patient when treatment occurred. The class extends to qualifying South Carolina affiliated entities; it is not limited simply to everyone who ever used one named hospital.
Is the loss printed on my form the payment I will receive?
No. That loss figure is used to allocate a share of the available net fund. It reflects payments made by you or for you for treatment that could have been billed to health insurance. The notice's $2,036,538.28 estimate of aggregate class losses is also different from the $2.25 million gross settlement fund. Neither figure is an individual award.
What was required if the recorded loss was wrong or unknown?
The claimant had to identify the disputed or unknown loss, state the amount believed correct and send supporting documentation with the claim by the deadline. The administrator would accept, partly accept or reject it and explain the result. Notice Question 9 calls for notification within 30 days of receiving the claim; a disagreement with the decision can be presented to the court using the instructions sent with it.
The downloadable form says that leaving both agreement/disagreement boxes blank is treated as agreeing with the listed amount. Form checked September 8, 2026: https://maryblackclassaction.com/DOCS/MB-Claim-Form.pdf. Contact the administrator about a problem with an already submitted form; this does not create a new filing deadline.
Could a representative file for a patient?
The official form permits the class member or someone with authority to act for that member to sign. A representative must identify their capacity and supply the requested contact information. The signer affirms the loss information and their authority under penalty of perjury.
Form checked September 8, 2026: https://maryblackclassaction.com/DOCS/MB-Claim-Form.pdf. The original August 31 deadline still applies; this describes who could file, not an extension.
How was disagreeing with my loss different from objecting to the settlement?
A loss dispute challenges the figure used for your payment. An objection asks the court to reject some aspect of the settlement itself. Both had August 31 deadlines but used different procedures. The official site confirms that someone who objected and also wanted a payment still needed a timely claim form.
The notice's loss-dispute instructions emphasize mailing with a postmark, while the downloadable claim form also permits email. For a question about how a disputed claim was submitted, ask the administrator rather than assuming the wording is interchangeable. Sources checked September 8, 2026: https://maryblackclassaction.com/how-to-get-a-monetary-payment/ and https://maryblackclassaction.com/DOCS/MB-Claim-Form.pdf.
What remains ahead after the claim deadline?
The fairness hearing is scheduled for October 27, 2026 at 11 a.m. The court will consider approval, expenses and related issues. Payments follow only after approval and any appeals; the hearing date is not a payment date. Check the official site for changes.
Notice Question 21 gives October 17, 2026 as the deadline to request permission to speak. The written notice must give your name, current address and reasons for appearing, with copies and related materials to the court and both sides' lawyers. This does not reopen the earlier claim, objection or exclusion deadlines.
What if I did nothing or requested exclusion?
A member who did nothing receives no payment and, if the settlement is approved, is bound by the release of claims covered by the case. Valid exclusion preserves those claims to the extent they otherwise remain available, but gives up settlement payments and the ability to object. The notice required a signed mailed exclusion, postmarked by August 31, 2026. It says another exclusion opportunity would require a court order.
Other Important Dates
- Exclusion deadline: 2026-08-31
- Objection deadline: 2026-08-31
- Final approval hearing: October 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
- Hearing location: 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306
Case Details
- Total settlement fund: $2,250,000
- Case name: Blackwell et al. v. Mary Black Health System, LLC et al.
- Case number: 2017-CP-42-00219
- Court: Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Common Pleas, Spartanburg County, South Carolina
- Administrator: The Notice Company; 1-800-789-6490; [email protected]
- Official Settlement Website: https://maryblackclassaction.com/
Sources
Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits