$40M Kansas City Life Insurance Co. class action lawsuit settlement

Kansas City Life Insurance Co. (KCL) has agreed to a $40 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit claiming it charged excessive insurance costs on life insurance policies.

The Kansas City Life Insurance settlement benefits individuals who own or owned a Better Life Plan, Better Life Plan Qualified, LifeTrack, AGP, MGP, PGP, Chapter One, Classic, Century II, Rightrack (89), Performer (88), Performer (91), Prime Performer, Competitor (88), Competitor (91), Executive (88), Executive (91), Protector 50, LewerMax, Ultra 20 (93), Competitor II, Executive II, Performer II or Ultra 20 (96) life insurance policy issued by Kansas City Life Insurance Co. that was active on or after Jan. 1, 2002.

The settlement also benefits a subclass of Missouri residents who own or owned a Century II life insurance policy issued by Kansas City Life Insurance Co. that was active on or after Jan. 1, 2002.

According to a class action lawsuit, Kansas City Life Insurance Co. charged unfairly high insurance costs on its life insurance policies. Plaintiffs in the case say the company used non-mortality factors to determine insurance rates, failed to reduce these rates when its expectations improved and used its expenses to determine rates despite having a separate monthly expense charge.

As a result of these practices, Kansas City Life Insurance Co. allegedly charged excessive insurance costs that violated the terms of its life insurance policies.

Kansas City Life has not admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to resolve these allegations with a $40 million class action settlement.

Under the terms of the Kansas City Life Insurance settlement, class members can receive a cash payment based on the amount they paid in insurance costs during the class period. Class members who paid a higher amount in insurance costs will receive a larger share of the settlement fund. Exact payment amounts will vary.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is Oct. 27, 2025.

The final approval hearing for the Kansas City Life Insurance Co. settlement is scheduled for Dec. 12, 2025.

No claim form is required to benefit from the settlement. Class members who do not exclude themselves will automatically receive settlement benefits.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits current and former owners of Better Life Plan, Better Life Plan Qualified, LifeTrack, AGP, MGP, PGP, Chapter One, Classic, Century II, Rightrack (89), Performer (88), Performer (91), Prime Performer, Competitor (88), Competitor (91), Executive (88), Executive (91), Protector 50, LewerMax, Ultra 20 (93), Competitor II, Executive II, Performer II or Ultra 20 (96) policies that were active on or after Jan. 1, 2002, except for the Century II life insurance policies issued in Missouri that were active on or after Jan. 1, 2002. A separate settlement class covers current and former owners of Century II life insurance policies issued in Missouri. This class is called the Sheldon class and their claims were part of a verdict that was on appeal at the time of the settlement. That settlement is being overseen by the 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri. Consumers can confirm their eligibility by visiting the settlement website or calling the toll-free number.

Potential Award

TBD

Proof of Purchase

N/A Exclusion Deadline 10/27/2025

Claim Form Deadline

N/A

Case Name

Van Zanten, et al. v. Kansas City Life Insurance Co., Case No. 4:25-cv-00095-BP, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri

Final Hearing

12/12/2025

Settlement Website

KCLCOISettlement.com

Claims Administrator

KCL COI Settlement Administrator
PO Box 2010 Chanhassen, MN 55317-2010
[email protected]
855-493-7460

Class Counsel

John J. Schirger
Joseph M. Feierabend
SCHIRGER FEIERABEND LLC

Patrick J. Stueve
Bradley T. Wilders
Lindsay Todd Perkins
Ethan M. Lange
STUEVE SIEGEL HANSON LLP

Defense Counsel

Zachary B. Harrison
B. J. Miller
Patrick L. Nelson
SHOOK, HARDY & BACON, L.L.P