America's Benefit Specialist July 2023

If you paid for or provided reimbursement for some or all of the purchase price of brand or generic Exforge® (fixed combination of amlodipine and valsartan tablets), you could get a payment from a class action lawsuit.

A federal court authorized this Notice. It is not a solicitation from a lawyer.

A Settlement has been reached with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. and Novartis AG (“Novartis”) in a class action lawsuit that will provide $30,000,000 in cash to resolve the End-Payor Plaintiffs’ claims against Novartis. The lawsuit is captioned In Re: Novartis and Par Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 1:18-cv-04361 (AKH), pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What does the Settlement provide? Novartis has agreed to pay $30,000,000 in cash to the Settlement Fund for pay ment of the following: (i) valid Claim Forms for cash benefits submitted by Settlement Class Members; (ii) the notice and other administrative costs actually incurred by the Claims Administrator; (iii) Attorneys’ Fees and Costs, as may be ordered by the Court; and (iv) service awards of $25,000 for each of the Class Representatives, as may be ordered by the Court. Who is included in the Settlement Class? You are a member of the Class if you purchased or paid for brand and generic Ex forge (fixed combination of amlodipine and valsartan tablets) between September 21, 2012 through June 30, 2018 in the District of Columbia, Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. How do I get a payment from the Settlement? To qualify for a settlement payment, you must complete and submit a valid Claim Form by August 18, 2023 . You may complete and submit a Claim Form online at www.exforgeantitrustsettlement.com or mail a completed Claim Form to Novartis and Par Antitrust Litigation, c/o Claims and Notice Administrator, 1650 Arch St, Ste 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Claim Forms are also available by calling 1-833-741-2334 , or by emailing info@exforgeantitrustsettlement.com . What are my options? If you are a Settlement Class Member and do nothing, you will be bound by the Settlement and will give up any right to separately sue Novartis for the claims made in this lawsuit and released by the Class Action Settlement Agreement (“Settlement Agreement”). If you don’t want to be legally bound by the Settlement, you must exclude yourself from it by August 18, 2023. Unless you exclude yourself, you won’t be able to sue or continue to sue Novartis for any claim made in this lawsuit or released by the Settlement. If you stay in the Settlement (i.e., don’t exclude yourself), you may object to it or ask for permission for you or your lawyer to appear and speak at the Final Approval Hearing – at your own cost – but you don’t have to. Objections and requests to appear are due by August 18, 2023 . More information about these options is available at www.exforgeantitrustsettlement.com. Do I have a Lawyer? The law firm listed below has been appointed by the Court as Class Counsel for the EPP Class:

VOLUME 70, NO. 6

EDITOR Martin Carr (202) 595 0724

ADVERTISING SALES The YGS Group (717) 430 2238

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Robin A. van der Meulen DICELLO LEVITT LLP 485 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1001 New York, NY 10017

NABIP nor does the magazine assume responsibility for statements made in

advertisements or published articles. Send editorial submissions to: America’s Benefit Specialist Editor, 999 E Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20004. America’s Benefit Specialist (ISSN 2475-5826, publication no. 238660), 2023, volume 70, number 6 Published 10 times per year (January/February, March, April, May, June, July, August/ September, October, November and December) by the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, 999 E Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20004. $25 annual subscription price is included in NABIP member dues. Periodical postage paid at Washington DC and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to America’s Benefit Specialist, 999 E Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20004.

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The Court’s hearing. The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing at 10:30 a.m., ET on October 3, 2023 , in Courtroom 14D, of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement with Novartis is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If there are objections, the Court will consider them. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the settlement. This notice is only a summary. For more information, including the long form notice and Settlement Agreement, visit www.exforgeantitrustsettlement.com, email Info@exforgeantitrustsettlement.com, or call 1-833-741-2334

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