Molina Healthcare has agreed to a $1.93 million settlement in a Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action lawsuit centred on calls made to wrong numbers.
The case, Kruzel v. Molina Healthcare, received final approval from an Oregon federal court in August 2026, ending a dispute spanning several years of alleged violations.
The settlement fund of $1,927,500 was structured as non-reversionary, meaning unclaimed funds would not revert back to the defendant company.
The plaintiff, Melissa Kruzel, served as the named class representative in the action brought against Molina Healthcare and its associated entities.
The settlement class covered individuals across the United States who received prerecorded or artificial voice calls directed to their mobile numbers but who had no account or plan with Molina Healthcare.
Crucially, the calls at the centre of the dispute were not marketing calls, but rather patient-related outreach made by Molina Healthcare, Molina Healthcare of California, and their vendor Icario, Inc.
The class period ran from May 30, 2021 through April 26, 2026, capturing years of outbound calling activity that was tracked internally using wrong number disposition codes.
Legal commentators have noted that using wrong number disposition codes to log such calls is a significant risk, as it creates a ready-made foundation for plaintiff attorneys to identify and certify a class.
The Reassigned Numbers Database, a tool specifically designed to prevent callers from contacting individuals who have inherited previously assigned phone numbers, was reportedly not used in connection with these campaigns.
Industry observers, including attorney Eric J. Troutman of Troutman Amin, LLP, have pointed out that this fact pattern closely mirrors recent settlements involving LifeLock and Money Source, both of which resulted in seven-figure TCPA payouts.
Troutman has argued that these costly outcomes are avoidable, stating that companies making large-scale outbound calls to existing customers or aged lead data should always consult the Reassigned Numbers Database before launching campaigns.
The settlement serves as a fresh warning to any organisation using prerecorded messages or automated voicemails at scale, particularly in sectors like healthcare where patient outreach is routine and high volume.
Compliance experts broadly recommend that businesses review their wrong number tracking practices immediately, as internal disposition codes can be used against them in subsequent litigation.
The case underscores the significant financial exposure companies face under the TCPA even when calls are made for non-commercial, service-based purposes rather than promotional outreach.