Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Antitrust Settlement
BCBSLA holds ~67% of Louisiana's health insurance market — one of the most concentrated in the US. Subscribers who filed a claim by November 5, 2021 are being paid a pro-rata share of the $2.67 billion national settlement.
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
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) is an independent, nonprofit Blue plan — NOT owned by Anthem/Elevance. BCBSLA controls roughly 67% of Louisiana's health insurance market, making Louisiana one of the five least-competitive states in the US for health insurance. In Baton Rouge BCBSLA holds 68%; in Lafayette, 70%; in New Orleans, approximately 55%.
The national antitrust settlement alleged that BCBS plans — including BCBSLA — illegally agreed not to compete across geographic territories, suppressing premium competition during the class period (February 7, 2008 – October 16, 2020). Louisiana policyholders who paid premiums to BCBSLA during that window and filed claims by the November 5, 2021 deadline are eligible for payments that began May 11, 2026.
How Louisiana Payments Are Calculated
Where you live does not change how your payment is calculated. The court-approved plan pays claimants in Louisiana 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.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA)
BCBSLA is headquartered in Baton Rouge and operates as an independent, tax-exempt nonprofit under Louisiana law. It is a licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) but is NOT a subsidiary of Anthem (Elevance Health). BCBSLA administers the Office of Group Benefits (OGB) plans for Louisiana state employees — but OGB itself is a government account excluded from the settlement.
BCBSLA's individual and commercial fully-insured products ARE covered by the settlement. The plan covers roughly 1.7 million Louisianans and is the largest health insurer in the state by a wide margin. UnitedHealth Group is a distant second at approximately 15% market share.
Louisiana 2026 Distribution Status
Payments to Louisiana 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 Louisiana
- Government accounts are excluded: coverage bought by the State of Louisiana, its counties and cities, tribes or the federal government — whether the plan was self-funded or fully insured. That includes the State of Louisiana'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).
BCBS Louisiana Settlement FAQs
Is BCBSLA (Blue Cross of Louisiana) the same as Anthem or another national Blue plan?
No. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent nonprofit headquartered in Baton Rouge. It is a BCBSA licensee but is NOT owned by or affiliated with Anthem (Elevance Health), which controls Blue plans in 14 states. BCBSLA operates entirely within Louisiana.
I was a Louisiana state employee with OGB coverage — am I eligible?
Most likely not, if your OGB plan was the group account holder. The Office of Group Benefits is a Louisiana state government agency, and Government Accounts are explicitly excluded from the settlement class. If you paid your own individual or family premiums directly to BCBSLA outside of an OGB group plan during the class period, you may have been eligible.
How much will Louisiana BCBS subscribers receive?
Individual payouts are calculated based on premiums paid during the class period and whether your plan was fully insured or self-funded. No Louisiana-specific ranges have been published. As a rough guide (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. Shares under $200 are paid in full in the first distribution; shares of $200 or more receive about 90% now, with the rest held for a later round. Any claimant whose share calculates to $5.00 or less receives nothing.
When will Louisiana claimants receive their settlement checks?
The initial distribution of payments to valid claimants began May 11, 2026. Payments go out by the method chosen on the claim, for example a prepaid card (activation email from distribution@bcbssettlement.com) or a mailed check. The settlement claims administrator handles distribution.
What was the BCBS antitrust case about, and how did BCBSLA participate?
The class action lawsuit (In re: Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation, MDL 2406, N.D. Ala.) alleged that BCBSA and its 36 independent member plans — including BCBSLA — agreed not to compete with each other in their respective geographic territories, eliminating inter-Blue competition and keeping premiums artificially high. BCBSLA, as a named Settling Defendant, agreed to pay its proportional share of the $2.67 billion fund.
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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