MultiCare ADA Administration

MultiCare Health System (MHS) has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States of America to address concerns that MHS may not have provided interpreter services for certain deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing patients and companions. The Agreement provides for a Compensation Fund to pay individuals who requested but did not receive an accommodation for a hearing, vision or speech disability.

To determine whether individuals were eligible for compensation and the amount they might receive, Epiq gathered information from Potential Eligible Persons.

Potential Eligible Persons are individuals who either requested an accommodation for a hearing, vision, or speech disability, including but not limited to a Qualified Interpreter, or for whom an accommodation was requested but not fulfilled at any MultiCare location in the Western District of Washington between July 19, 2018, and November 21, 2024, or who file grievances or complaints regarding ineffective communication.

You are a Potential Eligible Person if you received a Notice of Agreement and Claim Form by mail or email from Epiq.

The deadline to submit a claim was June 25, 2025. Claims may no longer be considered.

Epiq contacted individuals who have filed claims for any additional information to assess Claims for the Harm Assessment. The deadline to submit information for the Harm Assessment was June 31, 2025.

Payment checks were mailed to Eligible Persons with valid claims in February 2026.

Epiq is the third-party organization retained to serve as Settlement Claims Administrator for the purpose of administering the Compensation Fund.

Potential Eligible Persons were mailed a Notice of Agreement and Claim Form. Potential Eligible Persons may have also received an emailed Notice of Agreement and Claim Form. Only those who are sent a Notice of Agreement and Claim Form may be part of this Settlement. The deadline to submit a claim was June 25, 2025. Claims may no longer be considered.

Epiq contacted individuals who have filed claims for any additional information to assess Claims for the Harm Assessment. The deadline to submit information for the Harm Assessment was July 31, 2025.

“Potential Eligible Persons” are individuals, who either requested an accommodation for a hearing, vision, or speech disability, including but not limited to a Qualified Interpreter, or for whom an accommodation was requested but not fulfilled at any MultiCare location in the Western District of Washington between July 19, 2018, and November 21, 2024 or who filed grievances or complaints regarding ineffective communication.

MultiCare agreed to create a fund to pay individuals who requested but did not receive an accommodation for a hearing, vision or speech disability at any MultiCare location in the Western District of Washington between July 19, 2018, and November 21, 2024. Potential Eligible Persons may receive a share of the Compensation Fund by filling out and submitting a Claim Form. The deadline to file a Claim Form was June 25, 2025. Claims may no longer be considered.

The deadline to submit a claim was June 25, 2025. Claims may no longer be considered.

Payment checks were sent in February 2026 to all Eligible Persons with a valid claim. The amount awarded is final and non-appealable.

If you are a Potential Eligible Person, you could have opted out from the Settlement by not submitting a Claim Form.

If you are a Potential Eligible Person and opted out by not filling out and submitting a Claim Form, you did not receive monetary compensation under the Settlement.

If you did not fill out and submit a Claim Form, you did not receive monetary compensation under the Settlement. To receive monetary compensation under the Settlement, you must have submitted a complete Claim Form.

If you are a Potential Eligible Person’s guardian, please submit to Epiq a copy of your guardianship letter or other document identifying your legal authority to act on behalf of the Potential Eligible Person.

If you are the beneficiary of a Potential Eligible Person’s estate, please submit to Epiq copies of the Potential Eligible Person’s death certificate and documents showing you are the beneficiary of their estate. Acceptable documentation includes the pertinent portion of the will, or court order/Letters Testamentary naming you as Personal Representative, Administrator, Executor, or Executrix.

Do not send Epiq original copies because any documents sent to Epiq will not be returned to you.

Please either email your documents to info@InterpreterSettlement.com or mail your documents to:

MultiCare ADA Settlement Claims Administrator (Epiq)
P.O. Box 2914
Portland, OR 97208-2914

If you would like to change your address, please contact Epiq to provide your new address. You may call 1-888-869-5088 (Toll-Free) or 1-877-445-7876 (TTY), email info@InterpreterSettlement.com, or send mail to the following:

MultiCare ADA Settlement Claims Administrator (Epiq)
P.O. Box 2914
Portland, OR 97208-2914

Epiq reviewed all documents and information provided by Potential Eligible Persons and MultiCare, as well as any additional information provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office and compared the information regarding each Eligible Person against certain Harm Criteria, (as defined in FAQ 13 "What are the Harm Criteria") in order to make a recommendation regarding the amount of compensation to be paid to each Eligible Person.

If further documentation was needed to assess your claim against the Harm Criteria, Epiq contacted each Eligible Person who responded to the Notice of Agreement and Claim Form (or who is on the Potential Eligible Persons list and otherwise contacts Epiq). Epiq attempted to gather further details about the Eligible Person's experience with MultiCare through email, relay calls, or in-person interpreter meetings, based on the Eligible Person’s preference, at no cost to them.

If Epiq was unable to conduct an interview with the Eligible Person, the assessment was based solely on the available information.

The following criteria was considered in determining the amount of compensation to be paid to each Eligible Person for each instance where an accommodation was not provided.

1. The degree of medical exigency, seriousness, complexity, or sensitivity involved in the Unfilled Requests which considered factors including but not limited to:
   1. Whether the request was for an appointment was for routine medical care with which the Patient was familiar or did not require explanation or exchange of information relating to the person’s health (i.e., vaccine, routine blood draw, etc.);
   2. Whether the request was for an appointment was for routine preventative care (i.e., non-essential consultations, yearly physicals, routine follow-ups);
   3. Whether the request was for pre- or post-operative, emergency, or mental health care involving critical communications;
   4. Whether the request was for the provision of acute inpatient care; or
   5. Whether the request was for a surgical procedure;
2. The additional consequences of the Unfilled Request that go beyond the inconvenience and harm resulting from having to rely upon family members, friends, or unqualified interpreters, facing a risk of miscommunication, or having to reschedule/cancel the appointment, including but not limited to:
   1. Missed work, school, or similar obligations;
   2. Prolonged pain or physical or mental health symptoms,
   3. Giving or withholding of consent for care based on misunderstanding,
   4. Misdiagnosis due to miscommunication,
   5. Additional health complications necessitating further medical interventions, or
   6. Other irreparable harm to physical or mental health; and

Following the Harm Assessment, Epiq provided the United States with a written recommendation, including a list of Eligible Persons who should receive compensation along with the recommended amounts. No Eligible Person will receive more than $100,000 from the Compensation Fund. The United States reviewed the recommendations and communicated any changes to Epiq. Epiq provided a final list to both the United States and MultiCare. The determinations regarding the Eligible Persons and the compensation amounts on the final list are final and not subject to appeal.

Payment checks were mailed in February 2026.

The payments for this Settlement may be taxable income for federal, state, and local tax purposes. You may be required to report this income to the appropriate tax authorities and pay associated income taxes accordingly. Please consult a tax advisor to determine your individual tax payment and reporting requirements.

If you did not submit a valid W-9 to the Settlement Administrator before Payment Checks were processed, 24% of your award was withheld and remitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Eligible Persons sent payments will be sent Form 1099 in January of 2027.

The language on the check stub explains important details about your Settlement payment. It confirms that your claim was reviewed and found valid, and that the enclosed check represents full satisfaction of your approved Settlement payment. It also indicates how long the check remains valid before it becomes void, so please deposit it promptly. The stub also includes contact information for the Settlement Administrator if you have any questions or need assistance.

For your convenience, an ASL video explaining your Settlement payment can be accessed below.

If there were remaining funds in the Settlement Account after the period specified in the Settlement Agreement, any unused funds will be returned to MultiCare in accordance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement.

There was only a one‑time Settlement payment, and no further payments will be disbursed.