Auto supplier Brose North America in Auburn Hills is expected to be one of dozens of self-funded and fully insured companies to file a claim in Michigan as part of the $2.7 billion antitrust settlement with Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Crain's asked several companies insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to talk about the settlement and impact to their business.
Lisa Basila, Brose's vice president of human resources, agreed to respond to written questions.
Describe your company.
Brose is the world's fourth-largest family-owned automotive supplier. We develop and produce mechatronic systems for vehicle doors and seats as well as electric motors, drives and electronics for steering, brakes, transmissions and engine cooling.
How many employees do you have?
We have more than 25,000 employees at 65 locations in 24 countries. Some 2,500 are employed in the U.S.
How long has Brose been insured with Blue Cross?
We were fully insured with Blue Cross of Michigan for four years of the settlement period, 2008-2011, and have been self-funded since 2012. So we are a part of both subclasses of the settlement.
Will you file for a claim?
We have registered to receive our claim notice, but have not received it yet. We aren't sure about the process we will go through, but plan to file for the full period of time we were with Blue Cross.
What do you think about the national Blues settlement? Is it fair for the monetary damages and required operational changes?
If the purpose was to introduce more competition in the market, we aren't sure why our organization at 2,500 U.S. employees is limited to a single Blue Cross plan and employers above 5,000 employees have choice (of contracting with a competing Blues plan in Michigan). It seems random.
Do you have any complaints with the Michigan Blues?
We are happy with Blue Cross of Michigan, but what employer wouldn't want an option to bid for something as critical and costly as their health care benefits, especially if we can continue to have the same Blue Cross network for our employees?
Do you expect a large payout?
Given that this is a national settlement and so many employers are likely to file, we aren't sure what to expect. Based on the fact we were fully insured for four years of the 13-year time frame, we expect our settlement to be slightly more than other employers our size.
Have you informed your employees covered by the Blues?
We are still deciding how to approach employee communication. We will likely communicate to our current employees around the time they will get claim notices from Blue Cross to help address any confusion.
What are your next steps?
We will be paying attention to the communication from the settlement administrator and filing a claim when we are able.
What impact will this have on your business with the Blues?
We don't expect it to have any impact on our current relationship.
Do you believe the settlement will lead to changes at Michigan Blues?
We would hope that the competition being created with larger organizations will benefit all Blue Cross of Michigan employers.
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