BCBS Settlement Arizona — AZ Blue Independent Carrier
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue) is an independent nonprofit — not part of Anthem. Each payment is a pro-rata share of the national fund based on the premiums the claimant paid — it does not depend on the state.
How your share is set
Pro rata by premiums
paid 2008–2020 — the same formula in every state
Average per approved claim
About $244
across 7,774,992 claims nationwide
Shares of $200 or more
About 90% now
10% held for a later distribution
Arizona's BCBS plan is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue) — an independent, locally operated nonprofit headquartered in Phoenix. It is not part of Anthem or Elevance Health. AZ Blue has served Arizona since 1939 and covers more than 2 million members across all 15 counties.
During the 2008–2020 class period, AZ Blue held roughly 38% of Arizona's commercial health insurance market — a solid but not monopoly-level share.
How Arizona Payments Are Calculated
Where you live does not change how your payment is calculated. The court-approved plan pays claimants in Arizona exactly as it pays everyone else: your share is your “Recognized Claim” — built from the premiums (for self-funded accounts, the administrative fees) the Blue plan's records show you paid during the class period — divided by everyone's, multiplied by the net fund. The settlement publishes no state rankings, market-share weights or state payout ranges; dollar ranges quoted for individual states are estimates, not official figures.
The money is split into two pots that are paid separately: $1.78 billion for individuals, insured groups and their employees, and $120 million for self-funded accounts and their employees. Divided across the 7,774,992 claims the court approved, the average is about $244 a claim. As a rough rule of thumb (our arithmetic, not an official rate), the individual and insured-group pot pays about 54 cents per $100 of premiums: $10,000 in premiums works out to about $54, and $60,000 to about $325.
Under the court's April 24, 2026 order, shares under $200 are paid in full in the first distribution, which began May 11, 2026. Shares of $200 or more receive about 90% now, with 10% of the fund held in reserve for a later distribution. Any claimant whose share calculates to $5.00 or less receives nothing.
Estimate Your BCBS Payment From Your Premiums
Shares are pro rata by the premiums you paid from 2008 to 2020 — the same formula in every state.
Rough share for $60,000 in premiums
About $324
$200 or more, so about $292 (90%) comes in the initial distribution. A second distribution may follow, only for people who cashed the first payment; as of October 2026 no date has been announced.
Our arithmetic, not an official rate: the eligible claims in the individual and insured-group fund reported about $328 billion in premiums against a $1.78 billion fund — about 54 cents per $100. Your actual payment is calculated by JND Legal Administration from the Blue plans’ records. Payments began May 11, 2026; the claim deadline (November 5, 2021) has passed.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue)
The sole BCBS licensee in Arizona is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, also branded as AZ Blue. It is structured as an independent nonprofit — not part of Anthem or any for-profit insurer. Founded 1939, headquartered in Phoenix with offices in Flagstaff and Tucson, 3,200+ employees. AZ Blue is one of the few states where the BCBS plan remains fully independent.
AZ Blue offers commercial PPO, HMO, and individual ACA marketplace HMO plans across all 15 Arizona counties. It is the only BCBS carrier offering coverage statewide in Arizona. Coverage through AZ Blue's fully insured commercial plans during 2008–2020 qualifies for the settlement.
Arizona 2026 Distribution Status
Payments to Arizona claimants come from the same national fund as everyone else's, under the court's April 24, 2026 distribution order (the settlement itself received final approval on August 9, 2022). The administrator, JND Legal Administration, began the initial distribution on May 11, 2026 and sends payments in batches by the method chosen on the claim — for example a prepaid card, with an activation email from distribution@bcbssettlement.com, or a mailed check. No state or regional schedule has been published, and the settlement reports no claim counts or amounts by state.
Only claimants who filed by the November 5, 2021 deadline are paid; no new claims are accepted. Shares of $5.00 or less receive nothing, shares under $200 are paid in full, and shares of $200 or more receive about 90% now, with 10% of the fund held for a second distribution that has no date yet. Checks are void if not cashed within 90 days. To see where your claim stands, use “Check my Claim Status” on bcbssettlement.com with your Unique ID or Claim Number, or call (888) 681-1142.
Exclusions That Apply in Arizona
- Government accounts are excluded: coverage bought by the State of Arizona, its counties and cities, tribes or the federal government — whether the plan was self-funded or fully insured. That includes the State of Arizona's own employee health plan.
- Federal Employee Program (FEP) coverage is excluded as a federal government account.
- Quasi-government accounts are included if they chose their own fully insured or self-funded Blue plan — for example school districts, utilities, port and transportation authorities, government-funded hospitals and public retiree benefit plans. The administrator decides individual cases: (888) 681-1142.
- Self-funded employer plans are not excluded: they and their employees share a separate $120 million fund, for coverage from September 1, 2015 to October 16, 2020.
- Medicare Advantage policies are not part of the settlement; Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies are, if the coverage dates fit.
- Dependents and beneficiaries, including minors on a parent's plan, are not paid; the subscriber or employee who paid the premium is.
- Coverage from insurers outside the Blue system does not count.
Source: the official settlement FAQ at bcbssettlement.com (questions 7–9 and 12).
Arizona BCBS Settlement FAQ
AZ Blue is my insurer — does it qualify for the settlement?
Yes. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue) is an independent BCBS Association licensee and is named in the antitrust class action. Fully insured commercial plans through AZ Blue during February 7, 2008 through October 16, 2020 qualify. You must have filed a valid claim by the November 5, 2021 deadline to receive payment.
I had UnitedHealthcare or Cigna in Arizona — am I eligible?
No. This settlement applies exclusively to Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, and all non-BCBS carriers are not party to this antitrust litigation. Only AZ Blue (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona) coverage during the class period qualifies in Arizona.
I was on AHCCCS — am I excluded?
Yes. AHCCCS is Arizona's Medicaid agency. Medicaid managed care plans — even those administratively connected to AZ Blue — are government-sponsored programs excluded from the Subscriber settlement. The settlement covers commercial Blue coverage: individual and fully insured group plans from February 7, 2008, and self-funded (ASO) accounts and their employees from September 1, 2015, through October 16, 2020.
I was an Arizona state employee or ASRS retiree with AZ Blue coverage — do I qualify?
For state employees, most likely no. The State of Arizona employee benefits program (ADOA Benefit Options) is self-funded: AZ Blue administers claims but the state bears the insurance risk. It is excluded because it is a state government account; government accounts are excluded whether the plan was self-funded or fully insured. ASRS retiree coverage can be different: public retiree benefit plans that bought their own coverage count as quasi-government accounts and are included, as are other quasi-government entities (school districts, utilities, public hospitals) that independently chose a fully insured or self-funded AZ Blue plan — provided a claim was filed by November 5, 2021. The claims administrator decides individual cases: (888) 681-1142.
I bought an ACA marketplace plan through AZ Blue — does that count?
Generally yes. Individual ACA marketplace plans purchased through AZ Blue (not Medicaid/AHCCCS) are fully insured commercial products that qualify for the class period (2008–2020). Note: AZ Blue only offered HMO products on the Arizona marketplace as of recent years — verify your plan type. AHCCCS expansion plans are excluded even if purchased through the marketplace portal.
Were you (or a close family member) injured in the last 2 years?
The BCBS settlement above pays fixed amounts through a claims administrator — a separate injury claim is a different case, and often worth far more. Free review, no obligation.
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