The Siegel Law Group secured a significant ruling in this Centene overtime lawsuit on behalf of Field Service Coordinators denied overtime pay. In Jackson v. Superior HealthPlan, Case No. 3:15-CV-3125-L (N.D. Tex.), the court granted conditional certification, opening the door for care workers across Superior HealthPlan's Texas operations to join the case and pursue claims for unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The firm has recovered $100M+ for workers and concentrates in challenging overtime violations in the managed care industry.
On November 7, 2016, Magistrate Judge Irma Ramirez granted conditional certification, allowing the case to proceed as an FLSA collective action. The court found that Level 2 Field Service Coordinators — Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) — were similarly situated in their job duties and compensation across Superior HealthPlan's Texas offices. This meant the misclassification was systemic, not isolated to a single location.
Attorney Jack Siegel served as lead attorney in this case. Superior HealthPlan is a subsidiary of Centene Corporation — #23 on the Fortune 500 — one of the largest managed care companies in the United States.
Conditional certification is the critical first step in any FLSA collective action. Without it, workers cannot join together to challenge a company's pay practices. When a court grants conditional certification — as it did here — it signals that the employer's misclassification of care workers was applied broadly enough to affect employees across the company. For a managed care defendant like Centene, that ruling carries enormous significance.
The Field Service Coordinators performed care coordination for Medicaid recipients, following standardized assessment protocols to evaluate enrollees' needs and coordinate services. Despite the formulaic nature of these duties, Superior HealthPlan classified them as exempt from overtime under the administrative exemption — a classification the court's ruling called into question.
Under the FLSA, employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek are entitled to overtime pay at one and one-half times their regular rate. Employers may claim an exemption — such as the administrative exemption — but must prove that the worker's primary duties involve the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance. When workers follow standardized protocols, checklists, and assessment templates, the administrative exemption typically does not apply.
Conditional certification under 29 U.S.C. Section 216(b) requires a "modest factual showing" that the named plaintiffs and potential opt-in plaintiffs are similarly situated. This is a lower bar than Rule 23 class certification and is designed to facilitate notice to workers who may not know they have claims.
If you are a care coordinator, field service coordinator, or managed care employee at a Centene subsidiary — or any health plan — and you work overtime without proper compensation, this ruling demonstrates that courts will hold even the largest managed care companies accountable. The Siegel Law Group has successfully held employers of every size accountable — including some of the nation's largest managed care companies.
Conditional certification means the court allowed the case to proceed as a collective action under the FLSA. Other similarly situated Field Service Coordinators across Centene's subsidiary network could receive notice of the lawsuit and choose to join (opt in) to pursue their own claims for unpaid overtime.
The opt-in period for this specific case may have closed, but if you are a current or former Centene or Superior HealthPlan employee who was denied overtime, you may have your own claim. Contact the Siegel Law Group to evaluate your situation under federal and state overtime laws.
An FLSA collective action allows workers who are "similarly situated" to join together in a single lawsuit against their employer. Unlike a Rule 23 class action, workers must affirmatively opt in by filing a consent form. The process typically begins with conditional certification, followed by a notice period, and then a second stage where the employer can challenge whether the workers are truly similarly situated.
Certification — whether conditional certification under the FLSA or class certification under Rule 23 — allows workers to pool their resources, share legal costs, and present a unified case against the employer. It also creates leverage: employers facing collective or class claims know that the potential liability covers all affected workers, not just one or two individuals.
The administrative exemption is one of the "white collar" exemptions under the FLSA. If it applies, the employer does not have to pay overtime. To qualify, the worker must be paid on a salary basis of at least $684/week and must have a primary duty that involves the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance. Managed care workers who follow standardized protocols often do not meet this test.
After conditional certification, the court authorizes notice to be sent to potential opt-in plaintiffs. Workers then have a set period (usually 60-90 days) to file consent forms to join the case. After the opt-in period closes, the employer typically moves for decertification — asking the court to break up the collective. If the collective survives, the case proceeds to discovery, potential summary judgment, and trial.
The Siegel Law Group is a national overtime and wage law firm devoted entirely to representing workers denied overtime pay. Where many firms include wage cases as a small part of a broader employment practice, the Siegel Law Group has built its entire practice around overtime litigation — and the results reflect that commitment: $100M+ recovered for workers, 50+ class and collective action certifications, and 100+ federal lawsuits filed in 27+ federal courts nationwide. Founding attorney Jack Siegel is a Bloomberg BNA contributing author on wage and hour law.
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