Long-running antitrust lawsuit ends in $2.8 billion settlement paid to providers

Blue Cross Blue Shield has agreed to pay $2.8 billion to a settlement fund for health care providers as part of the resolution of a 12-year antitrust lawsuit, according to the plaintiffs Oct. 14 in a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The lawsuit alleged that BCBS member companies violated antitrust laws by agreeing to allocate markets via exclusive service areas and fixing prices paid to health care providers through the organization's BlueCard Program. According to the providers’ law firm, Whatley Kallas, the settlement will affect how BCBS processes claims and communicates with and makes payments to providers. The firm further expects that the settlement will help alleviate and address resource-draining administrative burdens and inefficiencies experienced by providers.