Oct. 19, 2007, is the deadline by which physicians must file claims to be eligible for a distribution in the more than $131 million Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) settlement announced in April. Physicians, physician groups, and physician organizations who provided covered services to patients enrolled in or covered by a health benefit plan insured or administered by a majority of the BCBS plans in the country from May 22, 1999, through May 31, 2007, may be entitled to part of the proposed settlement.
Calling it a “historic settlement,” counsel representing approximately 900,000 physicians, as well as the medical societies of several states and other medical societies across the country, announced April 27, 2007, that they had settled a national class action lawsuit with the majority of BCBS health plans in the country. A central claim in the case was that BCBS plans were involved in a conspiracy to deny, delay, and/or reduce payments to physicians. The settlement includes about 40 BCBS plans.
Even if a physician did not provide covered services to an enrollee of one of the settling plans, the physician need only to have provided covered services to an enrollee of any other primary licensee of BCBS to be eligible for a distribution under this settlement. Also, a practice or group does not have to have a contract or network arrangement with the settled BCBS plan in order to participate in the settlement.
Physicians should contact their medical group or independent practice association if they think it may be filing on their behalf. Groups may file on behalf of physician employees if authorized by those physicians. Get more information.
