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If you had health insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield, a settlement might put extra cash in your pocket. Nearly six years after reaching a settlement, the antitrust class-action lawsuit should begin making payments to individuals who filed claims.
It's been a long wait for subscribers who filed claims since the legal fight, which began in 2013, faced appeals, court approvals, and administrative delays that extended the timeline. Here's what to know about whether you might receive a payment.
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What the antitrust lawsuit was about
The Blue Cross Blue Shield lawsuit alleged that more than 35 Blue Cross Blue Shield plans violated federal antitrust laws. The suit alleged that Blue Cross Blue Shield companies entered into agreements not to compete with each other for customers, including by capping the amount of unbranded health insurance that each company offered. The lawsuit alleged that the rules artificially inflated premiums and decreased the choices available to consumers for health insurance.
While the lawsuit ultimately reached a settlement, Blue Cross Blue Shield did not admit wrongdoing. The settlement was reached in October 2020, and in 2025, a judge provided final approval of the settlement.
How much was the settlement for
The settlement totaled $2.67 billion. Of the total settlement, approximately $1.9 billion should be available to be paid out to affected customers. The remainder of the settlement may cover costs like attorney fees and administrative costs.
In addition to the financial payout, the settlement requires Blue Cross Blue Shield to make changes to how the business operates. The changes should help promote increased competition among the insurer's plans, which may help prevent inflated insurance plan costs.
Who's eligible to receive a payment
Two groups of people are eligible for a settlement payment. The first group consists of individuals and insured groups who were covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield between February 7, 2008 and October 16, 2020. The second group consists of self-funded account customers who bought administrative services plans through Blue Cross Blue Shield between September 1, 2015 and October 16, 2020.
According to the settlement website, customers were required to file a claim by November 5, 2021 to receive a settlement payment. Anyone who missed the deadline is not eligible, even if they had qualifying coverage.
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How much could payments be
Of the $2.67 billion settlement, approximately $1.9 billion may be paid out to eligible customers who filed a claim by the deadline. Many factors affect the size of each customer's payments, including how long the customer was insured, how much they paid in premiums, and their plan type.
Since so many factors affect the size of the payments, it's impossible to estimate just how much you might receive. However, since about six million customers filed claims, if the $1.9 billion were divided evenly, payments would be about $300 each. Payments may ultimately be larger or smaller than $300.
When will payments arrive
According to the settlement website, the settlement is final and people who filed claims are receiving claim determination notice emails and postcards. Those notices are being sent on a rolling basis, and customers should follow the instructions in the notice.
The site indicates that initial payments are scheduled to go out in May 2026. Payments may be sent by paper check, prepaid debit card, or electronic payments, like PayPal or Venmo.
Additional Blue Cross Blue Shield lawsuits
This isn't the first class action lawsuit that Blue Cross Blue Shield has faced. In 2010, an antitrust class action lawsuit alleged that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan agreements with hospitals inflated the cost of health care services for direct purchasers. Allegedly, Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan entered into anticompetitive agreements with hospitals in Michigan; those agreements guaranteed that Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan would receive rates that were at least as favorable as other insurers, inflating the reimbursement rates that rival health care insurers and their customers paid.
The resulting settlement required the distribution of $2.8 billion to affected hospitals and providers. It also required Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan to substantially change the way the plans conducted business, allowing greater competition between plans.
Changes prompted by the $2.67 billion settlement
The $2.67 billion Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust settlement includes payments for affected customers, but its real value may be in the operational changes required. When a few plans dominate the insurance market, competition is taken away and prices may be inflated. The settlement requires Blue Cross Blue Shield to change its anticompetitive practices. Doing so may help ensure that customers have access to numerous plans and competitive prices, helping them save money on health insurance moving forward.
Bottom line
If you were eligible for a payout from the $2.67 billion settlement, and you filed a claim by the deadline, you may soon receive a payment. Be sure to monitor your mail and email for a settlement notice, and follow the instructions on that notice.
When buying health insurance, remember to always shop around and carefully compare not only the premiums, but the coverage, deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and other key factors. Doing so may help you keep more cash in your wallet while getting the best deal on the coverage you need.
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