Starbucks COBRA Notice Class Action Settlement, $325K, Who Qualifies and How to Claim by December 2, 2026

Starbucks has agreed to pay $325,000 to settle a class action over the COBRA notice it sent to former employees and their covered family members. About 33,800 people are in the settlement class. To get paid, you must mail the claim form that came with your settlement notice, postmarked by December 2, 2026. Starbucks denies that its notice broke the law, and the court has not ruled on who is right.

Official settlement website: cobranoticeclassaction.com | Claim form: mailed with your notice (no online claim form is offered) | Administrator: 800-566-0584

Starbucks COBRA Settlement: Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Case	Raphyr Lubin, et al. v. Starbucks Corporation
Case number	8:20-cv-01311-CEH-TGW
Court	U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division
Settlement fund	$325,000
Estimated administration costs	About $75,000, taken from the fund
Attorneys’ fees and costs	Up to $450,000, paid separately by Starbucks, subject to court approval
Estimated class size	About 33,800 people
Who is included	Starbucks health or vision plan participants and beneficiaries who were sent a COBRA notice between July 21, 2016 and January 1, 2023 and did not elect COBRA coverage
Estimated payment	About $30 if 25% of the class claims; about $74 if 10% claims
Claim method	Mail only, using the form sent with your notice
Claim deadline	December 2, 2026 (postmark)
Opt-out deadline	December 2, 2026 (postmark)
Objection deadline	December 2, 2026
Final approval hearing	January 6, 2027, 11:00 a.m. ET, Courtroom 13A, Tampa
Settlement administrator	American Legal Claims Services, LLC
Administrator phone / email	800-566-0584 / [email protected]
Official website	cobranoticeclassaction.com
Claim form	Mailed with your settlement notice; call the administrator if you lost it
Status	Preliminary approval granted July 8, 2026; final approval pending

Who Qualifies for the Starbucks COBRA Settlement?

The court approved this class definition for settlement purposes only. It covers participants and beneficiaries in Starbucks’ Welfare Benefits Plan, including the health plan and vision plan, in the United States who:

• were sent a COBRA notice between July 21, 2016 and January 1, 2023 following a qualifying event, and
• did not elect COBRA continuation coverage.

Participants who are subject to Starbucks’ arbitration agreement are excluded. Membership is decided from Starbucks’ records, not by you. If you received a postcard or letter, Starbucks’ records place you in the class.

Do you have to be a former Starbucks employee? No. A spouse or other covered beneficiary who received the COBRA notice may qualify even if they never worked for Starbucks.

What if you elected COBRA coverage? The class only includes people who did not elect continuation coverage, so you are likely not included.

What if you never received a notice? Not receiving one does not settle whether you qualify. Call American Legal Claims Services at 800-566-0584 or email [email protected] and ask them to check your status and tell you how to get a claim form.

Related article: Quadrant Technologies $900K Pay Transparency Class Action Settlement, Who Qualifies and How to Claim by December 14, 2026

What the Lubin v. Starbucks COBRA Lawsuit Alleges

COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, lets people who lose employer health coverage keep it for a limited time, usually by paying the premium themselves. Federal law requires the employer to send a notice explaining that right (29 U.S.C. § 1166 and 29 C.F.R. § 2590.606-4).

Raphyr Lubin, a participant in the Starbucks Corporation Welfare Benefits Plan, sued in 2020. He alleges the Starbucks notice did not properly explain how to elect continuation coverage. Specifically, he says it lacked:

• a clear explanation of how to enroll, and an election form
• the name, address and phone number of the party administering the plan
• the name of the plan
• the address for sending premium payments
• other explanatory information required by federal regulations

He sought statutory penalties, an injunction, and attorneys’ fees and costs for himself and everyone in the same position under ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

Starbucks denies liability and says its notice complied with COBRA and ERISA. It agreed to settle to avoid the cost and uncertainty of continuing a case pending for about six years. The settlement is not a court finding that Starbucks violated the law.

For another employee-benefits case, see our report on the Cambridge Health Alliance ERISA $595K settlement. It involves separate claims and does not affect eligibility here.

How Much Money Can You Get?

Starbucks agreed to pay $325,000. Administration costs, estimated at $75,000, come out first, leaving about $250,000. Every person who files a valid, timely claim receives an equal share of what remains.

Your payment therefore depends on how many people claim. The official notice gives two examples:

Share of class that files a valid claim	Approximate claimants	Estimated payment per person
10%	3,380	About $74
25%	8,450	About $30

By our own arithmetic on the notice’s numbers, if all 33,800 class members claimed, each would receive about $7.40. These are estimates, not guarantees. The final amount depends on valid claims and approved administration costs.

Why Is It Sometimes Called a $775,000 Settlement?

That figure adds the $325,000 fund to the separate $450,000 that class counsel will ask the court to approve for attorneys’ fees and costs. Starbucks pays the $450,000 separately, so it does not reduce the class fund. Only the $325,000 fund is available to class members and administration. No money reverts to Starbucks. Funds from uncashed checks would go to Bay Area Legal Services, a legal aid nonprofit proposed by the parties, if the court approves.

How to File a Starbucks COBRA Settlement Claim

Claims are mail-only. The official website does not offer an online claim form. Its address-update tool is a separate service, not a claims portal.

1. Find your claim form. It came with your settlement notice. If you lost it, contact the administrator to ask how to get one.
2. Complete and sign it. Check your name and mailing address, and keep a copy.
3. Mail it, postmarked by December 2, 2026, to:

Lubin v. Starbucks Corp. c/o Settlement Administrator P.O. Box 23309 Jacksonville, FL 32241-3309

Mail it early and keep proof of mailing. If your form is defective, the settlement provides a cure process: the administrator sends a cure letter within three business days, and you generally have until the later of the response deadline or 15 calendar days from that letter to correct it. Do not rely on this as a reason to wait.

For general tips, see our guide on how to claim a lawsuit settlement, step by step.

Your Options and What You Give Up

Option	What it means	Deadline
File a claim	You receive a pro rata payment if the court approves, and you release Starbucks from claims about the COBRA notice	December 2, 2026 (postmark)
Do nothing	No payment, but you are still bound by the release if the settlement is approved	None
Opt out	No payment, and you keep the right to sue Starbucks on your own over the notice	December 2, 2026 (postmark)
Object	You stay in the class and tell the court what you dislike; you cannot object if you opt out	December 2, 2026

The release covers Starbucks, its third-party COBRA administrators and notice providers (including Alight Solutions), and related parties. It covers claims about the COBRA notice at issue in this case.

To opt out, mail a signed written request to the administrator at the address above, including the case name and number, your name, address, phone number and email.

To object, file a written objection with the Clerk of the Court, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, 801 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602, and mail a copy to the administrator, both by December 2, 2026. Include the case name, your reasons, your contact information and your signature. If you want to speak at the hearing, say so in your objection. The full requirements are in the long-form notice on the official website.

Important Dates

Date	Event
2020	Lubin files the case in the Middle District of Florida
July 8, 2026	Preliminary approval granted; class certified for settlement purposes only
October 2, 2026	Court-ordered deadline for the administrator to mail notice and open the website
November 10, 2026	Deadline for class counsel’s motion for fees and costs
December 2, 2026	Claim, opt-out and objection deadline
December 16, 2026	Deadline for the motion for final approval
January 6, 2027, 11:00 a.m. ET	Final approval hearing, Courtroom 13A, Tampa

Date note: The website’s Key Dates page appears to show the hearing year as 2026. The court’s July 8, 2026 order, the formal notice and the FAQ all say January 6, 2027, which is the date used here. Check the official website for any changes.

When Will Payments Be Sent?

Not right after the claim deadline. The court must first grant final approval, and any appeals must be resolved. Once the settlement is effective, Starbucks funds the settlement account within 20 business days of the administrator’s confirmation of valid claims. Checks are then mailed by first-class mail within 30 days of funding. You have 60 days from the date on the check to cash it. Because approval and appeals can shift the timeline, no payment date is guaranteed.

Contact the Settlement Administrator

• Administrator: American Legal Claims Services, LLC
• Phone: 800-566-0584
• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: Lubin v. Starbucks Corp., c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 23309, Jacksonville, FL 32241-3309
• Website: cobranoticeclassaction.com

Never pay anyone to file a claim or to guarantee a payout. Before responding to an unexpected settlement message, read our consumer guide to spotting fake class action settlement notices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Starbucks COBRA settlement legitimate?

 Yes. It is run through a court-authorized website in Case No. 8:20-cv-01311-CEH-TGW. The court granted preliminary approval on July 8, 2026, and final approval is pending.

How much will I receive?

 About $30 to $74 based on the notice’s examples, depending on how many valid claims are filed. There is no fixed payout.

Do I need a lawyer? 

No. Class counsel, Wenzel Fenton Cabassa, P.A. and Justice Litigation Associates, PLLC, represent the class at no cost to you. Their fees are paid separately by Starbucks, subject to court approval. You may hire your own lawyer at your own expense.

Do I need to prove a financial loss?

 No. Payment is an equal share for each valid claimant. The settlement does not describe tiers based on individual loss.

Can I file online? 

No. Mail the claim form that came with your notice.

What if I miss December 2, 2026? 

You will not receive a payment. If the settlement is approved and you did not opt out, you are still bound by the release.

Do I have to attend the January 6, 2027 hearing? 

No. Class counsel will speak for the class. You may attend, and objectors may ask to speak. The court can change the date or format, so check the official website.

Does the settlement mean Starbucks broke the law?

 No. Starbucks denies wrongdoing, and the court has not decided liability.

Will this affect my current health coverage? 

No. It resolves claims about the COBRA notice only.

Bottom Line

If you were sent a Starbucks COBRA notice between July 21, 2016 and January 1, 2023 and did not elect coverage, mail your claim form so it is postmarked by December 2, 2026. Expect roughly $30 to $74, with payment only after final approval.

Sources Used in This Article

1. Official settlement website, Lubin v. Starbucks Corporation: https://cobranoticeclassaction.com/
2. Official FAQ: https://www.cobranoticeclassaction.com/page/faq
3. Official Key Dates: https://www.cobranoticeclassaction.com/page/dates
4. Court documents (complaint, settlement agreement, order granting preliminary approval, Doc. 117, filed July 8, 2026): https://www.cobranoticeclassaction.com/page/docs
5. Official long-form settlement notice: https://www.cobranoticeclassaction.com/request-document/d32b8e159afe783a2d53499f3535f68c
6. 29 U.S.C. § 1166 and 29 C.F.R. § 2590.606-4, as cited in the settlement notice
7. U.S. Department of Labor, COBRA Continuation Health Coverage FAQs: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/faqs/cobra-continuation-health-coverage-workers
8. ClassAction.org, Starbucks settlement coverage, October 22, 2026: https://www.classaction.org/news/325k-starbucks-settlement-ends-class-action-lawsuit-over-allegedly-deficient-cobra-notices

Update Log

• October 24, 2026: Article published.

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. AllAboutLawyer.com is a legal information website, not a law firm. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. The settlement remains subject to final court approval, and the official notice, settlement agreement and court orders control if any summary differs. For advice about your situation, consult a qualified attorney.