BC/BS Settlement map
View which BCBS plans and subsidiaries in your state have settled

Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement Update
The BCBSA settlement Final Order  was filed April 21, 2008 by a federal court in Miami and allows the signatory medical societies to directly assist physicians when a BCBS plan or subsidiary has failed to honor their commitments under the settlement.  The American Medical Association (AMA) has obtained court permission to participate in the enforcement of the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) settlement as an additional signatory medical society.

How the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Settlement Agreement helps the physician practice (PDF, 51KB)

 

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Twenty-three Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association have settled the class action lawsuit brought about by 90,000 physicians nationwide in a settlement agreement dated April 27, 2007. The fairness hearing is scheduled for November 14, 2007.

The AMA commends the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and 23 of its affiliated companies for agreeing to fundamentally shift how their system conducts business with physicians. Through this settlement with physicians and medical associations, a majority of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield system agreed to resolve contentious business practices that have long frustrated physicians and jeopardized the delivery of quality patient care. If the BCBS plans choose to not hold up their end of the bargain, physicians can address the unfair payer practice through a free, simple enforcement process.

The BCBS companies that settled are the latest health insurers to acknowledge there is a value in fostering cooperative relationships with physicians. To preserve this growing commitment to progressive cooperation, the AMA calls on health insurers to voluntarily and permanently establish business practices that permit fair and open dialogue with physicians.

For a complete list of the settlement agreement provisions, download the agreement and its exhibits at www.hmosettlements.com. You can contact the settlement administrator at (877) 893-2643.

Be sure to view the interactive map to identify those BCBS plans and subsidiaries that have and have not settled by state.

For more information, there are four easy ways to contact the AMA's Private Sector Advocacy Practice Management Center:

1. Call (800) 262-3211, ask for Practice Management Center
2. Fax (312) 464-5541
3. E-mail practicemanagementcenter@ama-assn.org
4. Visit the AMA Practice Management Center Web site for additional settlement information.

This summary has been prepared from information provided to the AMA. While efforts have been made to include information likely to be of interest to most physicians, the actual settlement documents are much more extensive, contain the definitive settlement terms and should be consulted in the event of questions or if a specific situation is not addressed.

 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield settlement map

Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement map

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