Shane Group v. BCBSM Settlement

The Shane Group, Inc. v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Case No. 2:10-cv-14360

If You Paid For Medical Services at a Michigan Hospital from January 1, 2006 to June 23, 2014, You May be Eligible for Payment.

Consumers
Insurers

Welcome to the official website for the Shane Group v. BCBSM Settlement.

UPDATE: On November 7, 2023, Plaintiffs’ Motion to Distribute Settlement Funds and Pay Final Expenses was filed with the Court. If approved, distributions will follow approximately 30 days after the Distribution Order is considered final and all deadlines have passed. This website will be updated again with any updates regarding this motion, including the anticipated distribution date, when available.

There is a Settlement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (“BCBSM”) concerning its contracts with general acute care hospitals in Michigan. Your legal rights are affected whether you act or do not act. You do not need to be a BCBSM customer to be eligible for the Settlement.

The lawsuit alleges that BCBSM had clauses in its contracts with some Michigan General Acute Care Hospitals that violated federal and state antitrust laws and inflated prices for medical care at certain Michigan hospitals. BCBSM denies all wrongdoing and liability but has concluded that it is in its best interests to settle the litigation to avoid the expense, inconvenience, and interference with ongoing business operations.

The Court approved a very similar settlement in 2014, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected that approval and instructed the Court to start the settlement approval process over because some court records had been improperly sealed and address certain other issues raised by the Sixth Circuit. The Court has unsealed those records, and the public can review them on the Documents page of this website.

The parties have slightly changed their earlier settlement agreement and seek approval of the new Settlement. Under the new Settlement, BCBSM will pay a total of $29,990,000 into a Settlement Fund that will be used to make payments to individuals and entities that paid Michigan General Acute Care Hospitals for healthcare services from January 1, 2006 to June 23, 2014 and to pay attorneys’ fees, expenses and plaintiff incentive awards, subject to Court approval.

You may review the Frequently Asked Questions and the Detailed Notice for more details on who is eligible for benefits under this Settlement and what steps members of the Settlement Class need to take to receive benefits under this Settlement.

This website will be updated periodically with new developments in the Settlement.


Class Members’ Legal Rights and Options
Submit a Claim Form The only way to receive a cash payment from the Settlement. If you submitted a claim for the earlier settlement, your claim will be processed for the new Settlement, and you do not need to submit another claim. All Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by January 29, 2021.
Exclude Yourself Receive no benefits from the Settlement, but keep your rights to start or remain part of any other lawsuit against BCBSM about its conduct challenged in this case or related conduct. If you submitted a request to exclude yourself from the earlier settlement, that request has no effect for the new Settlement. If you wish to exclude yourself from the new Settlement, you must submit a new request by September 16, 2018.
Object Submit a written statement to the Court about why you don’t like the Settlement. If you objected to the earlier settlement, that objection will not be considered for the new Settlement. If you wish to object to the new Settlement, you must file a new by September 16, 2018.
Attend Fairness Hearing Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the Settlement. The Court will review the Settlement on November 8, 2018. If you would like to attend you must submit your request by September 16, 2018.
Do Nothing You will receive no payment from the new Settlement and will give up your rights to start or remain part of any lawsuit against BCBSM about its conduct challenged in this case or related conduct.

Current Status

At this time the Plaintiffs’ Motion to Distribute Settlement Funds and Pay Final Expenses is pending consideration with the Court. The claims filing deadline has passed and claims are no longer being accepted. The next phase of this matter will be distribution once approval is granted and the Distribution Order is final. Additional updates will be announced on this website as they are available.


Important Dates

September 16, 2018
Deadline to request exclusion from the Settlement

September 16, 2018
Deadline to object to the Settlement

October 16, 2018
Plaintiffs to File Motion for Final Approval of the Settlement

January 29, 2021
Deadline to Submit a Claim

November 8, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Fairness Hearing


More Information

If you have any questions regarding the Settlement or wish to update your address, you may contact the Settlement Administrator. Please include your name, and your return address on all correspondence.

Shane Group v. BCBSM Settlement
Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 3240
Portland, OR 97208-3240