General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe big boys can keep lawsuits going a long time and
never is that more clear than in the Blue Cross/Blue Shield class action suit that was filed in 2013. The action was about agreeing not to compete among plans and to limit competition. So after 7 years a settlement was reached and accepted by the judge in 2020. So people might think that was the end and the payout to class members would begin. Not at all. Some businesses who had health plans raised an objection that the settlement might affect their future benefit plans etc. and so they filed litigation to hold up the settlement. They kept losing but appealed etc. until their final loss.
So now in February 2026 class members have received and e-mail from the settlement administrators that payments will begin in May 2026. Thirteen years and maybe the class members will start to see a small return of a portion of the excessive premiums they paid. Maybe. Nobody is holding their breath and you can be sure that many don't have to because 13 years means many have already died. Their estate can claim of course but money doesn't buy lunch for you when you're dead. You could have used that money when you were alive but the wizards of the law can keep the lunch wagon bell from ringing for a very, very long time.
AverageOldGuy
(3,630 posts). . . are bullshit. The only people who benefit are the lawyers who file the suits.
From time to time we get a post card announcing that we can be part of a class action suit because yadda yadda yadda. We toss the cards.
I fell for it one time -- it's a long story but it involves a life insurance policy I purchased that turned out to be not exactly the way it was sold. The insurance company settled for $300 million. After 12 years of faithfully paying the annual premium that increased from $1,100 to $2,700 on the POS policy, my settlement was . . . . hold your breath, you won't believe it . . . my settlement was $75.00.
Tree Lady
(13,161 posts)Why they play the game. The only way you get something is if there is only you or not many people in the law suit.
moniss
(8,891 posts)but BCBS settled for over $2 billion. Since all I had to do was sit and wait for 13 years a lunch would be more than I had before the suit. Sometimes these can resolve quicker but in this case the last nearly 6 years of appeals was a delay that was tremendously inappropriate and never should have been allowed.