CHICAGO (LN) — The American Physical Therapy Association filed a direct action complaint Thursday in the Northern District of Illinois asserting Sherman Act claims against Multiplan Inc. and a roster of major health insurers including UnitedHealth Group Inc., The Cigna Group, Aetna Inc., and Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates, according to the short-form complaint.
The association, a Virginia-incorporated professional group, filed its complaint in MDL No. 3121, In re Multiplan Health Insurance Provider Litigation, before Senior Judge Matthew F. Kennelly. The case is docketed as American Physical Therapy Association v. Multiplan, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-06289.
The complaint adopts by reference the factual allegations and claims in the plaintiffs’ Consolidated Master Direct Action Plaintiff Complaint proceeding. The association checked five causes of action under Section 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1: horizontal agreements in restraint of trade; hub-and-spoke agreements in restraint of trade; principal-agent combinations in restraint of trade; agreements to unreasonably restrain trade; and anticompetitive information exchange.
The complaint does not assert claims under state antitrust or consumer protection statutes.
The association seeks compensatory damages, treble damages, punitive damages in amounts to be proven at trial, and declaratory and injunctive relief. It did not demand a jury trial.
Matthew M. Lavin of Gilbert LLP signed the complaint, which was filed May 28, 2026.