More than two years after Blue Cross Blue Shield reached a $2.6 billion settlement with its subscribers after a lawsuit alleged the company broke antitrust laws, eligible customers who filed a claim could finally see their payments, USA Today reports.
Here’s what to know about the lawsuit, and how to find out if you’re eligible for a payment:
Blue Cross Blue Shield lawsuit
The insurance company was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging it broke antitrust laws by limiting market competition. The lawsuit argued this drove up premiums and reduced options for consumers while creating fixed prices for healthcare services.
But the defendants — Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies — deny all wrongdoing.
A court hasn’t decided whether either party is right or wrong — instead, they settled. Now, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and the companies have established a $2.67 billion settlement fund that will be paid out to customers who filed a claim.
“This settlement ends a long-running legal challenge to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association license agreements and related rules,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We deny the allegations made in the lawsuit. However, to reach a settlement and put years of litigation behind us, we have agreed to make some operational changes and a monetary payment to the provider class involved in the case.”
The settlement agreement was finalized in October.
How do I file a claim?
If you’re a subscriber and haven’t already filed a claim in the class action lawsuit, you’re out of luck. The deadline has already passed.
If you are one of the six million people who filed a claim ahead of the November 2021 deadline, check your email. Claim determination notices are being sent on a “rolling basis,” according to the claim website.
You could receive just over $300 after more than $600 million in attorneys’ fees are deducted from the total fund, USA Today reports.
There is also a separate $2.8 billion settlement fund that will be paid to providers, who have until July 2025 to file a claim.
If you’re a provider or run a healthcare facility, you can file a claim on the official Blue Cross Blue Shield Provider Settlement website.
The Independent has contacted Blue Cross Blue Shield for comment.
