By Bob Paterson Prenatal screening can bring difficult questions into an already anxious pregnancy. An unexpected bill adds another concern: whether the patient understood what the test could show and what it would cost. Those issues sit at the center of separate class actions against Natera, the company behind Panorama prenatal screening and Horizon carrier screening.
The distinction between the cases matters. One settlement concerns claims about prenatal-test marketing. Another addresses communications about patients’ out-of-pocket costs. As of October 15, 2026, they have different approval stages, eligibility rules and deadlines. A patient reading about a “Natera settlement” needs to know which case the notice describes.
Which Natera Class Actions Are Involved?
The prenatal-marketing case is In re Natera Prenatal Testing Litigation, case number 4:22-cv-00985-JST, in the Northern District of California. A September 2026 court order records that the litigation began in February 2022, when Amanda Davis and Amanda Law filed separate complaints alleging false advertising of Natera’s noninvasive prenatal tests.
The billing case is Calcaterra v. Natera, Inc., case number 4:23-cv-06342-YGR, in the same federal district. Its proposed settlement also addresses a related California state case, Copley v. Natera, Inc. The patient claims discussed here should not be confused with investor litigation concerning Natera shares.
What Did Patients Allege About Prenatal-Test Marketing?
The marketing litigation challenged how Natera presented its prenatal screening tests. Plaintiffs alleged false advertising, while Natera disputed liability and whether the class suffered harm. The court’s September 2026 order described substantial unresolved questions concerning test reliability, advertising, individual exposure to marketing and proof of damages.
The settlement avoided a trial over those disputes. It does not establish that every screening result was wrong or that every patient experienced a medical injury. That distinction is especially important when discussing prenatal tests, where a screening result and a confirmed diagnosis serve different purposes.
Natera’s own patient information states that Panorama is a screening test and cannot provide a final diagnosis. A high-risk result indicates an increased chance of a condition; it does not establish with certainty that the fetus has it. Patients should discuss results and options for diagnostic testing with their healthcare provider.
The $8.25 Million Prenatal-Testing Settlement
The court granted final approval of this settlement on September 3, 2026. Natera denies wrongdoing. The class covers qualifying U.S. patients who paid out of pocket for Panorama or Vasistera, including through copayments, coinsurance or deductibles. Patients whose tests were entirely paid by insurance or another third party are excluded.
All covered periods end on August 7, 2025, but their starting dates differ:
- Ohio: February 17, 2016
- New Jersey: May 5, 2016
- Florida: February 24, 2017
- New York and Illinois: April 27, 2017
- All other states: February 17, 2018
The claims period is closed. Although earlier notices gave other deadlines, the court accepted claim forms submitted through September 3, 2026, and closed submissions on that date. The administrator states that it cannot accept later claims.
For valid claims, the allocation provides up to $30 without proof of purchase, or a calculation starting at 10% of documented out-of-pocket costs exceeding $300. Adjustments and caps apply. The administrator schedules payments by November 5, 2026, assuming no appeal delays effectiveness. That schedule is not confirmation that a particular claimant has already been paid.
What Is the Separate $9.5 Million Billing Settlement?
Rachel Calcaterra alleged that patients were not clearly informed about potential out-of-pocket charges for genetic screening. Natera denies this and maintains that it provided cost information and patient assistance. The parties reached a proposed $9.5 million settlement, which received preliminary approval on September 2, 2026.
The proposed class covers U.S. patients who received the relevant tests and were billed above these amounts during July 10, 2019 through September 2, 2026:
- Panorama without microdeletion screening: more than $249
- Panorama with microdeletion screening: more than $349
- Horizon genetic carrier screening: more than $349
Class membership and payment calculations are different questions. Being billed above a threshold does not mean the patient paid that amount. The allocation distinguishes between patients whose qualifying payments appear in Natera’s records and those without that recorded proof.
Those with qualifying recorded payments may receive proportional compensation. Other valid claimants may receive up to $50, subject to available funds. Neither category promises a full refund. The proposal also includes additional billing disclosures on patient invoices and test requisition forms.
Which Billing-Settlement Deadlines Apply?
The court-authorized settlement website lists these dates:
- December 28, 2026: exclusion requests must be received; objections have separate filing instructions.
- March 2, 2027: scheduled final approval hearing.
- May 3, 2027: online claims must be submitted and mailed claims must be received.
The hearing date can change. Payments depend on final approval and resolution of any appeals. Preliminary approval allows the notice and claims process to proceed; it is not a finding that Natera broke the law or a guarantee of immediate payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can someone qualify for both patient settlements?
Possibly, if the person meets each settlement’s requirements and submitted the necessary claims on time. The billing settlement expressly addresses participation in both cases: combined payments for the applicable tests cannot exceed the claimant’s out-of-pocket payments. Eligibility for the newer billing settlement does not reopen the closed prenatal-marketing claims period.
Q. What if I received a billing notice but cannot find my receipts?
Check the identification number on the settlement notice. The administrator says an “A” prefix identifies patients with qualifying payment proof in Natera’s records; a “B” prefix identifies those without that proof. If the classification appears wrong, contact the administrator before submitting inaccurate information. Keep any bills, payment confirmations and insurance statements you can locate.
Q. Does having insurance mean I could not have owed anything?
No. Natera explains that deductibles, copayments and coinsurance can leave patients with a balance even when the laboratory is in-network. An estimate can also differ from the final bill as insurance claims are processed. Compare the actual invoice with the insurer’s explanation of benefits and your payment records; those documents describe different parts of the transaction.