Providence and MultiCare $155.5 Million Settlements Over Dr. Jason Dreyer’s Spine Surgeries, Who May Qualify and What Happens Next

Providence and MultiCare have reached settlement agreements worth a combined $155.5 million in two patient lawsuits over spine surgeries performed by neurosurgeon Dr. Jason A. Dreyer. The Providence case also involves Dr. Daniel Elskens. The Spokesman-Review reported the agreements on October 4, 2026.

There is no claim form and no claim deadline yet. The settlements still have to be finalized. The patients’ attorney, William Gilbert, told the Spokesman-Review he hopes that happens sometime after January 1, 2027. Until a court-approved notice or official settlement website exists, don’t send personal information to any site that says it’s processing claims.

These cases are putative class actions. The Spokesman-Review reports that each group includes more than 2,000 members. The court’s June 2025 order consolidating the Providence cases was for the purpose of considering class certification, and it did not certify a class.

Last Updated: October 5, 2026

Providence and MultiCare Dr. Dreyer Settlements: Quick Facts

Detail	What is verified
Combined settlement amount	$155.5 million across the Providence and MultiCare patient lawsuits
Defendants	Providence and MultiCare Health System
Surgeons involved	Dr. Jason A. Dreyer (Providence and MultiCare); Dr. Daniel Elskens (Providence)
What is alleged	Unnecessary, excessive or otherwise improper spine surgeries, driven in part by productivity-based pay
Court	U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
Case numbers	Consolidated Providence matter: No. 4:25-cv-05029-SAB; related cases 4:24-cv-05160-SAB and 4:25-cv-05025-SAB
People covered	More than 2,000 members in each class-action lawsuit, per the Spokesman-Review
Base payment (reported)	$2,000 for a person treated by Dr. Dreyer, per the patients’ attorney
Status	Agreements reached; not yet finalized
Claim form / deadline	None announced

How Much Could a Dr. Dreyer Patient Get From the Providence and MultiCare Settlements?

Attorney William Gilbert told the Spokesman-Review that anyone treated by Dr. Dreyer would receive $2,000. To get more, a person’s surgery would have to be determined “unnecessary, excessive, or otherwise substandard.”

Don’t treat $2,000 as a guaranteed final amount. The settlement documents and court approval will set the final payment formula. Gilbert also said that most of the roughly 2,000 class members had surgeries that were, more likely than not, necessary and appropriate. Being in the group doesn’t mean a surgery was found unnecessary.

What Providence Patients Allege About Dr. Dreyer and Dr. Elskens at Providence St. Mary Medical Center

Dr. Dreyer was hired at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla in July 2013. According to the patients’ 175-page complaint, as reported by the Spokesman-Review, Providence encouraged Dr. Dreyer and Dr. Elskens to perform high volumes of complex spine surgeries through a productivity bonus system that rewarded volume and complexity.

Court records report Dr. Dreyer became the highest-paid neurosurgeon across Providence’s 51 hospitals, earning between $2.5 million and $3.1 million a year.

Dr. Dreyer was placed on administrative leave in May 2018 after concerns raised by medical staff, and he resigned that November. According to court documents, Providence did not report him to the National Practitioner Data Bank or the Washington State Department of Health. Dr. Elskens was allowed to resign in 2017 and also wasn’t reported to the Data Bank.

These are allegations, not court findings.

What MultiCare Patients Allege About Dr. Dreyer at Deaconess Hospital and MultiCare Rockwood Clinic

After leaving Providence, Dr. Dreyer worked for MultiCare at Deaconess Hospital and MultiCare Rockwood Clinic in Spokane. He signed an employment agreement in May 2019, began operating in July 2019, and resigned in November 2021.

The proposed MultiCare class in the court’s June 23, 2025 consolidation order covers surgical patients of Dr. Dreyer during his MultiCare employment, from May 3, 2019 through November 18, 2021. That order put the proposed class at about 475 patients. Check the final settlement papers for the definition that governs.

Court records reported by the Spokesman-Review say MultiCare’s hiring committee heard warnings about Dr. Dreyer’s time at Providence before hiring him. They also say two physician assistants raised patient-safety concerns within months of his first MultiCare surgeries. One walked out of an operating room mid-surgery, and the other resigned rather than keep working with him.

Are These the Same as the Earlier Providence and MultiCare Government Settlements?

No. The government cases were False Claims Act cases about billing Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs. The patient lawsuits are separate. As Gilbert put it, the government cases don’t compensate individual patients; “it’s just the government getting their money back.”

Earlier government resolution	Amount	Date
Providence Health & Services	About $22.7 million	April 2022
Dr. Jason Dreyer (individual)	More than $1.1 million, plus a nine-year exclusion from Medicare	April 2023
MultiCare Health System	$3,728,000 (of which $1.6 million is restitution)	February 4, 2026

In its February 2026 announcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington said MultiCare made factual admissions in that government settlement. Those admissions were made in the False Claims Act case, not in the patient lawsuits.

What Providence and MultiCare Have Said About the $155.5 Million Settlements

A MultiCare spokesperson said the company is confident it would have prevailed at trial and called the settlement “a practical business decision” to avoid the cost and uncertainty of prolonged litigation. Providence said the settlement lets it stay focused on its patients and communities and avoids the cost and disruption of prolonged litigation.

Is There a Claim Form for the Providence and MultiCare Settlements?

Not yet. No settlement administrator, website, claim form or deadline has been announced. After the agreements are filed and approved, a court-approved notice should explain who qualifies, whether a claim is needed, how payments are calculated, and the opt-out and objection deadlines.

If you had spine surgery by Dr. Dreyer or Dr. Elskens, keep your records now:

• The hospital or clinic and the date of surgery
• Operative reports and other medical records
• Billing and insurance records
• Records of complications or follow-up treatment

Providence and MultiCare Dr. Dreyer Litigation Timeline

Date	Event
July 2013	Dr. Dreyer hired at Providence St. Mary Medical Center, Walla Walla
2017	Dr. Elskens resigns from Providence
May 2018	Dr. Dreyer placed on administrative leave at Providence
November 2018	Dr. Dreyer resigns from Providence
May 3, 2019	Start of the proposed MultiCare patient class period
November 18, 2021	End of the proposed MultiCare patient class period
April 12, 2022	Providence’s government settlement announced
April 24, 2023	Dr. Dreyer’s government settlement announced
February 4, 2026	MultiCare’s government settlement announced
October 4, 2026	$155.5 million patient settlements reported
After January 1, 2027	Finalization hoped for, per patients’ attorney

Providence and MultiCare Settlements: Frequently Asked Questions

How much are the Providence and MultiCare settlements worth?

$155.5 million combined, across two patient lawsuits.

Is there a claim form or deadline?

 No. None has been announced. The settlements still have to be finalized.

How much will I get? 

The patients’ attorney said anyone treated by Dr. Dreyer would get $2,000, with more possible if the surgery is determined unnecessary, excessive or substandard. The final formula isn’t confirmed.

Who may qualify?

 Patients of Dr. Dreyer or, in the Providence case, Dr. Elskens. The proposed MultiCare class covers May 3, 2019 through November 18, 2021. Exact definitions will come from the settlement papers.

Does this mean every surgery was unnecessary? 

No. The patients’ attorney said most surgeries in the groups were likely necessary and appropriate.

Is this the same as MultiCare’s $3.728 million settlement or Providence’s $22.7 million settlement? 

No. Those were separate government billing-fraud settlements.

When will payments be sent? 

There’s no date. Payments can’t go out until the settlements are finalized.

Do I need my own lawyer?

 Not necessarily. William Gilbert represents the patients. You can hire your own lawyer at your own expense, and a medical-malpractice or class-action attorney can advise you about your own situation.

Sources Used in This Providence and MultiCare Settlement Article

• The Spokesman-Review, “Providence and MultiCare settle two class action lawsuits worth a combined total of $155.5 million,” October 4, 2026: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/oct/04/providence-and-multicare-settle-two-class-action-l/
• U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Washington, “MultiCare Health System to Pay Millions to Settle Fraud Case,” February 4, 2026: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/multicare-health-system-pay-millions-settle-fraud-case
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington, Case No. 4:25-cv-05029-SAB, June 23, 2025 order consolidating Sells, Goold and Angulo for class certification (Justia): https://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/washington/waedce/4%3A2025cv05025/111148/32/

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against The Spokesman-Review’s October 4, 2026 report on the settlements and the U.S. Department of Justice’s February 4, 2026 MultiCare announcement, as of October 5, 2026. Last Updated: October 5, 2026.

Disclaimer: This is legal information, not legal advice. AllAboutLawyer.com is not a law firm. The allegations are not court findings, and terms, amounts and deadlines may change before final approval.