Regence BlueShield Settles Washington Class Action Suit & Agrees To Cover Autism Treatment

On October 13, 2014, Regence BlueShield filed a motion to settle two class action lawsuits in Washington State related to its lack of coverage for neurodevelopmental disabilities therapies, such as autism treatments. Under the proposed settlement agreement, Regence BlueShield agreed to cover medically necessary autism treatments, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), and to establish a $6 million fund to reimburse policyholders for out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of denied claims.

The settlement is due to litigation against the state’s three largest health insurers—Regence BlueShield, Premara Blue Cross, and Group Health Collaborative—brought under state and . . .