May 7, 2026 Newswires

Minnesotans can expect checks soon from 2020 Blue Cross settlement

Jeremy Olson, Star TribuneThe Minneapolis Star Tribune

Thousands of Minnesotans who filed claims in a class-action lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield can expect checks of around $300 soon.

The multistate collection of health insurers under the Blue Cross umbrella started sending payment notices on schedule this month as part of a 2020 settlement to resolve claims that it inflated premiums by limiting competition.

The health insurer created a $2.7 billion settlement fund to pay the roughly 6 million Americans who were eligible because they recently had Blue Cross coverage and beat the 2021 deadline to file claims.

In a regulatory filing last year, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota estimated its share of the costs at $71 million. A spokesman for the Eagan-based health insurer deferred questions to the national parent organization.

Payouts are expected to average $300 or more but will vary depending on how much members paid in premiums and what types of health insurance they bought. Recipients will be notified by emails or postcards and have opportunities to challenge their amounts.

Blue Cross settled without admitting liability for the claims in the lawsuit, which was filed in 2013 and accused the insurers of reducing competition in part by dividing up the U.S. and assigning members specific geographic service areas. The settlement includes commitments by Blue Cross to change its networks and organizational approach to increase competition.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota remains one of Minnesota’s largest health insurance providers. It added members in 2025 after competitors exited the Medicare and Medicaid marketplaces.

The Minnesota insurer recently reported a $353 million loss on operations in 2025, despite $10.4 billion in premium revenue, but a positive net income as a result of profitable investments.

Apart from the settlement with consumers, Blue Cross plans reached a separate $2.8 billion agreement with doctors and other providers, who had until late July last year to file claims. Blue Cross started notifying doctors of payouts in February.