How much is blue cross blue shield settlement per person

By David Bruce

I almost skipped over the email when it arrived last week in my personal account.

The email's title said "Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement" and I initially thought it was just one of the dozens of junk emails I receive every day.

Once I examined the email a bit closer, I realized it was an opportunity to file a claim as part of a tentative $2.67 billion settlement class-action settlement against more than 35 Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plans, including Highmark.

I'm sure many of you have received similar emails or postcards in recent months.

The settlement was reached in October 2020 after the Blue Cross Blue Shield plans were sued for allegedly violating antitrust laws, according to https://www.bcbssettlement.com, the settlement's official website.

The plans were accused of illegally entering into an agreement not to compete with each other and to restrict competition among themselves. As part of the settlement, they deny all allegations of wrongdoing.

You may be eligible for money if you were enrolled in a Blue Cross Blue Shield individual or group insurance plan between Feb. 7, 2008 and Oct. 16, 2020. You also may be eligible if you were enrolled in a self-funded account from Sept. 1, 2015 through Oct. 16, 2020.

Dependents and beneficiaries are not eligible to receive payments.

So, the question I had was, how much money will I receive?

It depends on how many valid claims are filed, how much I paid in premiums, and whether my plan was fully insured or self-funded. The settlement fund is estimated to be around $1.9 billion, after attorney fees and administration costs are deducted.

There will likely be hundreds of thousands of claims, perhaps millions, so the best bet is that I will receive enough money to go out for dinner but not enough to pay for the entire family.

If you didn't receive an email or postcard about the settlement and feel that you qualify, you can file a claim on the settlement's website, which I mentioned above.

Those who received an email or postcard have a unique ID with which to file their claim, but the website offers a way to file if you don't have a unique ID. You can also mail your claim to:

Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, PO Box 91390, Seattle, WA 98111.

But don't dawdle. The deadline for filing claims in Nov. 5.

HERE to HELP: Have a consumer question you'd like us to help you with? Leave a message with David Bruce at 870-1736, send an email to [email protected] or send mail to 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534.

Photo: Blanchi Costela/Getty Images

A long-running $2.7 billion antitrust settlement against Blue Cross Blue Shield has been finalized in federal court.

U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor in Alabama handed up the order on Tuesday, with the settlement to go into effect in 30 days.

Proctor also awarded legal fees of $626 million to be paid out of the settlement fund and cost and expenses of $40 million. The $626 million represents 23.47% of the settlement fund.

On its website, BCBS said, "The settlement received final approval on August 9, 2022. Payments from the settlement will be made to Class Members who submitted valid claims only after any appeals – if filed – are resolved. Please check this website for updates."

WHY THIS MATTERS

This is the final approval of the $2.7 billion antitrust settlement – pending any appeals, if filed by policyholders or employers – that was reached in October 2020.

The settlement resolves claims that the insurers violated antitrust laws by entering into an agreement not to compete with each other and to limit competition among themselves in selling health insurance, according to the BCBS settlement website. BCBS has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

A number of employers and policyholders brought the proposed class action lawsuit in 2012.

As part of the settlement, BCBS companies agreed to make changes in the way they do business to increase opportunities for competition in the market for health insurance.

However, Home Depot has argued the settlement doesn't go far enough in boosting competition among the Blue insurers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The settlement does not change the Blues' licensing setup that grants exclusive geographic branding rights to the companies, which was the main original focus of the litigation, the WSJ report said.

THE LARGER TREND

This settlement arose from a class action antitrust lawsuit that was reached on behalf of individuals and companies that purchased or received health insurance provided or administered by a Blue Cross Blue Shield company.

Class members who could be impacted by the settlement include individual employees as well as employers who sponsored health insurance plans that were insured with BCBS at any time between Feb. 7, 2008, and Oct. 16, 2020, under fully insured plans, or were covered by or enrolled in a self-funded plan any time between Sept. 1, 2015, and Oct. 16, 2020.

In October 2020, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies said they had reached an agreement to settle a legal dispute challenging elements of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association licensing agreements.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 35 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies.

In November 2020, Anthem said it would pay $594 million as its share of the antitrust settlement. Anthem operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in 14 states.

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: