SpecialtyCare $725,000 Surgical Neurophysiologist Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Fuchs, et al. v. SpecialtyCare, Inc., No. 3:23-cv-00892

There’s up to $10,727 waiting for some Surgical Neurophysiologists who worked under SpecialtyCare’s training repayment agreement — and debt relief for others who still owe money under it. SpecialtyCare agreed to pay $725,000 to settle claims that its repayment terms amounted to an unlawful restraint of trade and violated federal lending law. You don’t need to file anything to get paid.

SpecialtyCare Settlement — Key Facts

Settlement Amount	$725,000.00
Claim Deadline	No claim needed — payment and debt relief are automatic. Opt-out/objection deadline: November 2, 2026
Who Qualifies	Surgical Neurophysiologists (SNs) employed by SpecialtyCare and subject to the Associate Repayment Agreement between August 23, 2017 and June 10, 2026 (Restraint of Trade Subclass) or August 23, 2022 and June 10, 2026 (TILA Subclass)
Estimated Payout	Between $100 and approximately $10,727 per person, plus full relief of any disputed Training Repayment Agreement debt
Proof Required (Yes/No)	No — payment and debt relief are automatic
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved; awaiting Final Approval
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee — No. 3:23-cv-00892
Law Alleged	Unlawful restraint of trade under Tennessee law and violation of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA)
Administrator	ILYM Group, Inc.
Official Claim Site	SpecialtyCareIncSettlement.com
Last Updated	September 23, 2026

Who Is SpecialtyCare and Why Is It Being Sued Over Its Training Repayment Agreement?

SpecialtyCare is a Brentwood, Tennessee-based healthcare staffing company and the nation’s largest provider of outsourced intraoperative neuromonitoring, supplying Surgical Neurophysiologists to hospitals and surgery centers nationwide. To keep those specialized workers in place, the company required SNs to sign an Associate Repayment Agreement — pay back a share of training costs if they left before completing three years. Plaintiffs in Fuchs say that agreement crossed the line from a normal training-cost clause into an unlawful restraint of trade, and that its terms violated federal lending disclosure law. SpecialtyCare denies all of it.

What Did SpecialtyCare Do to Surgical Neurophysiologists Since 2017?

SpecialtyCare’s Associate Repayment Agreement required SNs to reimburse the company for training costs if they left before working three years. Fuchs and other plaintiffs sued in 2023, arguing that requirement functioned less like reasonable cost recovery and more like a financial handcuff — locking specialized medical staff into jobs they wanted to leave, in violation of Tennessee’s restraint-of-trade protections. A second claim argued the repayment terms should have been disclosed the way any other consumer loan is disclosed, under the Truth in Lending Act, and weren’t.

SpecialtyCare denies wrongdoing and maintains its practices were lawful. Neither side got a court ruling on the merits — in 2026, both sides agreed to settle rather than keep litigating.

SpecialtyCare isn’t the only employer facing scrutiny over practices that keep workers locked in — Home Depot’s ongoing non-compete lawsuits raise a similar question about how far an employer can go to restrict where employees work next.

If you’re a current SpecialtyCare SN still under this agreement, the settlement doesn’t just cover the past — it changes what happens if you leave before hitting three years, too.

Who Qualifies for the SpecialtyCare Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

You’re in the Restraint of Trade Subclass if you were an SN employed by SpecialtyCare and subject to the Associate Repayment Agreement at any point between August 23, 2017, and June 10, 2026 — unless you signed a general release, resigned within 30 days, or qualified for a specific contractual exception under Paragraph 2 of the agreement.

You’re in the TILA Subclass if you were an SN under that same agreement between August 23, 2022, and June 10, 2026, and didn’t sign a general release.

You can be in both subclasses at once, and being in either one means you’re part of this settlement.

SpecialtyCare SNs Who’ve Since Left Tennessee — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. This settlement covers current and former SNs nationwide who worked under the Associate Repayment Agreement, regardless of where you’re living or working now. What matters is whether you were employed by SpecialtyCare under that agreement during the covered period — not your current address.

40 days from today to decide whether to opt out or object — after that, doing nothing means accepting the settlement’s terms automatically.

Not sure if you qualify for the SpecialtyCare settlement? A free consultation with an employment attorney can help, especially if you’re weighing whether to opt out and pursue your own claim.

How Much Can SpecialtyCare Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $10,727 Per Person

The $725,000 fund covers class payments plus court-approved attorneys’ fees, litigation costs, service awards, and administration expenses. Your payout depends on your situation:

• If you already paid SpecialtyCare money under the Associate Repayment Agreement for leaving before three years, you get 100% of that amount back first.
• What’s left is split into three pools: one for the 172 TILA Subclass members (divided evenly), one for the 371 Restraint of Trade Subclass members (weighted by tenure — longer service means a bigger share), and one for the 125 current employees whose debt relief value depends on if and when they eventually leave (weighted the opposite way — shorter tenure gets more here).
• No payout lands below $100 — if the formula produces anything less, other allocations are trimmed slightly to bring it up to that floor.

Total individual payments are expected to range from $100 to roughly $10,727.

SpecialtyCare Debt Relief — What It Means Beyond the Cash

Separate from any cash payment, SpecialtyCare has agreed not to collect on any Training Repayment Agreement balance it says you owe. If you’re a current employee as of June 10, 2026, and you leave before completing three years, the company won’t come after you for repayment either — that obligation goes away if the settlement is approved.

The attorneys are asking for up to $241,667 in fees plus $206,000 in costs — close to two-thirds of the fund before a single class member sees a dollar. That’s normal for a case like this, but worth knowing before you weigh whether the settlement is fair.

What SpecialtyCare Class Members Need to Do — Step by Step

1. Nothing, if you’re satisfied with the settlement. Eligible SNs are automatically included and will receive a check without filing anything.
2. Want to confirm or update your mailing address, or request a different payment method? Contact the Settlement Administrator, ILYM Group, at [email protected] or (888) 250-6810.
3. If you currently have a disputed balance with SpecialtyCare, you don’t need to do anything — the company has agreed not to collect it once the settlement is approved.
4. Watch for your payment after the Settlement Approval Hearing on December 11, 2026, once any appeals are resolved.
5. If you want to opt out or object instead, see the deadlines below — both fall on November 2, 2026.
6. Keep the settlement website, SpecialtyCareIncSettlement.com, bookmarked for hearing date updates.

Should SpecialtyCare Class Members Opt Out or Object Before November 2, 2026?

What Opting Out of the SpecialtyCare Settlement Actually Means

Opting out means no payment and no debt relief, but it keeps your right to file your own lawsuit against SpecialtyCare over the same issues. Most people shouldn’t opt out without talking to an employment lawyer first, especially given the debt relief on the table. To opt out, mail a signed statement with your name, address, and phone number to ILYM Group, Inc., P.O. Box 2031, Tustin, CA 92781, postmarked by November 2, 2026.

How to Object to the SpecialtyCare Settlement

Objecting keeps you in the class while telling the court you disagree with part of the deal — the payout formula or the requested attorneys’ fees, for example. Your written objection needs the case name and number, your contact information, your reasons, whether you or a lawyer plan to appear at the hearing, and your signature. Mail it to both ILYM Group, Inc. and the U.S. District Court, Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse & Federal Building, 719 Church Street, Suite 1300, Nashville, TN 37203, postmarked by November 2, 2026.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before November 2 if you’re considering either option.

SpecialtyCare Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Lawsuit Filed	UNVERIFIED — exact 2023 filing date not stated on the settlement website
Settlement Reached	UNVERIFIED — Notice states only “In 2026,” no specific date given
Opt-Out Deadline	November 2, 2026
Objection Deadline	November 2, 2026
Settlement Approval Hearing	December 11, 2026, 1:30 p.m.
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — begins after Final Approval and any appeals resolve; no fixed date given

SpecialtyCare Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 3:23-cv-00892

Do I need a lawyer to get my SpecialtyCare settlement payment?

 No. Payment and debt relief are automatic for eligible Surgical Neurophysiologists — you don’t need to file anything or hire a lawyer. A lawyer matters if you’re considering opting out to bring your own claim.

Is the SpecialtyCare settlement legitimate?

 Yes. It’s a $725,000 settlement in Fuchs, et al. v. SpecialtyCare, Inc., No. 3:23-cv-00892, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, and administered by ILYM Group, Inc. — not a scam.

When will SpecialtyCare settlement payments be sent?

 Not until after the Settlement Approval Hearing on December 11, 2026, and only once any appeals are resolved. No specific payment date has been set.

What if I have questions about the SpecialtyCare Associate Repayment Agreement debt I still owe? 

Contact the Settlement Administrator, ILYM Group, at [email protected] or (888) 250-6810. If the settlement is approved, SpecialtyCare has agreed not to collect on that debt.

Will my SpecialtyCare settlement payment go on a 1099?

 Possibly, if your payment exceeds $600. Check with a tax professional about how to report it.

What’s the difference between the TILA Subclass and the Restraint of Trade Subclass?

 The Restraint of Trade Subclass covers SNs subject to the repayment agreement from August 23, 2017, through June 10, 2026. The TILA Subclass covers the narrower window from August 23, 2022, through June 10, 2026, tied to the specific Truth in Lending Act claim. Many SNs qualify for both.

How much could I get if I’m a current SpecialtyCare employee? 

Current employees as of June 10, 2026, are pooled separately, with 125 members sharing an allocation weighted so shorter-tenure employees get more — reflecting that their debt relief is worth more, since they’re more likely to leave before three years.

Sources Used in This SpecialtyCare Article

• Official Settlement Website — SpecialtyCareIncSettlement.com, administered by ILYM Group, Inc.: https://specialtycareincsettlement.com/
• Important Documents page (Settlement Agreement, Court Orders): https://specialtycareincsettlement.com/important-documents
• Your Options page (opt-out and objection details): https://specialtycareincsettlement.com/your-options
• SpecialtyCare company background: https://specialtycareus.com/

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official Settlement Website and its linked pages as of September 23, 2026. Last Updated: September 23, 2026.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.