ANTHEM FEE SETTLEMENT
Please note that the below is a brief summary and further information and details are in the Court documents available from the Class Settlement Administrator at www.AnthemFeeSettlement.com
THE LAWSUIT
ANDREA KREUZHAGE ET. AL. v. ANTHEM BLUE CROSS LIFE AND HEALTH INS. CO. AND BLUE CROSS OF CALIFORNIA DOING BUSINESS AS ANTHEM BLUE CROSS
LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT Case. No. BC 470460
On March 12, 2013, the Honorable John Shepard Wiley, Jr. issued an Order granting preliminary approval, among other things, of the class action settlement, Class Counsel, and Class representatives: Andrea Kreuzhage, Renee Dorian, and Deborah Pick. The Court also granted certification of the following provisional settlement class:
ALL SUBSCRIBERS OF AN INDIVIDUAL HEALTH PLAN OR POLICY ISSUED BY ANTHEM L&H OR BLUE CROSS WHO PAID A $2.00 PAPER BILL FEE FROM SEPTEMBER 27, 2007 THROUGH DECEMBER 10, 2012, AND WHO DO NOT EXCLUDE THEMSELVES FROM THE SETTLEMENT CLASS.
SYNOPSIS OF THE LAWSUIT
This lawsuit was filed September 27, 2011 and challenged certain fees charged by Anthem L&H or Blue Cross, the adequacy of a May, 2011 Notice describing an Endorsement effective as of August 1, 2011, and certain changes made by that Endorsement. Various proceedings were conducted in the Court between the date of filing and the date the parties agreed on a settlement (December 10, 2012). These proceedings narrowed the action. In particular, the Court ruled that the May, 2011 Notice describing the Endorsement was not misleading and dismissed the claims relating to allegations of fraud. The settlement focuses on the remaining claims directed to a $2 fee Anthem charged to members of individual plans electing to pay through paper bills, rather than other forms of billing (such as automatic deduction from a bank account). Plaintiffs claim that it was illegal for Anthem to charge and collect these $2 paper bill fees.
Settlement Benefits
By this Settlement, Anthem L&H and Blue Cross have agreed to reimburse a portion of those collected paper bill fees to its subscribers and to permanently refrain from imposing any paper bill fees in the future. Class members do NOT have to file a claim form. Each class member will receive payment unless they timely exclude themselves from the class as is detailed more fully in the Class Notice.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Feel free to contact CLASS COUNSEL BY CALLING TOLL FREE: 888-284-5284 orSEND AN EMAIL TO: afsinformation2013@gmail.com.
CLASS COUNSEL:
Gary A. Dordick
Law Office of Gary A. Dordick
509 South Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills CA 90212
Kathryn Trepinski
Law Offices of Kathryn Trepinski
9595 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 201
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Cara Eisenberg
The EISENBERG LAW Firm
509 South Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills CA 90212