By: Dan Munro

The headline may sound fictional — but it really isn’t. It’s actually a compilation of two articles that appeared just one week apart earlier this month.

The first was a press release from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) — the parent organization of the 37 independent Blue Cross Blue Shield companies around the country.

Initial reports from the survey [of BCBS companies] show savings of $500 million in 2012. BCBSA Press Release — July 9, 2014

The second article appeared earlier this week based on state filings by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST).

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee — the state’s dominant health insurance provider — is asking to raise rates by an average of 19 percent for its exchange plans in 2015, according to documents filed with the state of Tennessee. The Tennessean — July 16, 2014

In effect, the move to “value-based” care has resulted in $500 million in “savings” across the 37 independent BCBSA companies, but at least one of the 37 — BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee — still needs a rate increase of 19% for 2015 to stop hemorrhaging millions per month.

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By Mike Oliver | moliver@al.com 
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on July 07, 2014 at 10:06 AM, updated July 07, 2014 at 10:14 AM

 BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — A federal  judge’s ruling June 18 that an antitrust  lawsuit filed in federal court here can continue has inspired several legal write-ups highlighting the significance of the case.

“The results of this challenge to the structure of the Blues could have an enormous impact on competition in the health care industry,” states a legal analysis by  Robert Craig for Taft Stettinius & Hollister.

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