Claimants in the $2.67 billion Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust class action settlement should check their email.
They should be seeing payments of more than $300 each soon.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBS), an organization of health insurance companies in the United States, is issuing the payments beginning in May 2026, according to the settlement website. Claim notices should have already been emailed to customers.
How much are the BCBS settlement payments?
About six million people filed claims by the November 2021 deadline, so the payouts are expected to be around $333 per claim.
Only $1.9 billion of the $2.67 billion settlement fund is available for payout after deducting attorney fees, administration expenses and other costs, according to the settlement site.
Why is BCBS paying out $2.67 billion?
The payments stem from a 2013 class-action lawsuit alleging the health insurance giant broke antitrust laws.
The lawsuit was filed against more than 35 Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plans, claiming the company broke antitrust laws by limiting market competition, resulting in increased premiums and reduced options for customers.
Blue Cross Blue Shield has repeatedly denied these claims, and while the court didn’t reach a final verdict, the case was settled. Blue Cross Blue Shield did not respond for comment when contacted by USA TODAY.
Who is eligible for a Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement payment?
Customers who are eligible for a Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement payment needed to file a claim by Nov. 5, 2021. If a customer is eligible and did not file by the deadline, the customer will not receive a payment.
The settlement payment includes two classes: Individual and Insured Group and Self-Funded Account. Individuals and Insured Groups who were customers between Feb. 7, 2008, and Oct. 16, 2020, may have been eligible for a payment and Self-Funded Accounts who were customers between Sept. 1, 2015, and Oct. 16, 2020, may have been eligible.
Contact Midwest Connect reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@usatodayco.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement payments are coming. How much?
Reporting by Cheryl V. Jackson, Gabe Hauari and Greta Cross, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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