Blue Cross Blue Shield has begun distributing payments from a $2.67 billion antitrust settlement, with cheques and electronic transfers reaching the first wave of approximately six million eligible claimants this week.
The settlement traces to a 2013 class-action lawsuit accusing Blue Cross Blue Shield and more than 30 affiliated companies of carving up geographic territories to avoid competing with each other. The settlement received final court approval in October 2020 and has been working its way through claims processing since.
After deductions for legal fees and administrative costs, the net pool stands at roughly $1.9 billion. Average payouts are expected to be about $333 per claim, though employer-sponsored group plan claimants may receive larger amounts based on premium history.
Eligibility is limited to those who held a Blue Cross or Blue Shield health-insurance policy at any point between February 2008 and October 2020, and who filed a claim before the November 5, 2021 deadline. The administrator is not accepting new claims.
Recipients have reported receiving notices via email and post directing them to confirm payment details. The administrator can be reached at 888-681-1142, with status updates also available through the official settlement portal.
The case has been cited by competition regulators globally as a model for handling territorial-allocation antitrust matters in healthcare. Several state attorneys general are watching how the distribution proceeds before pursuing parallel actions.