Questions and Thoughts:

- Could someone file a viable lawsuit based on: Blue Shield made this announcement following the close of "Open Enrollment". In November, they probably knew this was a likely outcome, but withheld that information from their customers until they were locked in to their 2015 plan. Second, the customers are now forced to switch providers or pay out-of-network. Seems like a legitimate case?

- Does Blue Shield not understand that with no rejection due to pre-existing conditions, there's no roadblock (other than nuisance and timing) for customers to switch insurance providers? Blue Shield may find that people are more loyal to their regular doctor than they are to their insurance company. Do they want to mess with 200,000+ customers?

These two behemoths need to figure this one out.

Very interesting. Fight between 2 groups of extremely greedy people. Whose side do we take or we let them kill each other. Sutter will be impacted negatively immediately if many of these subscribers go to someone else. Blue Shield will see immediate benefit in terms of money and Blue Shield could care less if their subscribers get good quality of patient care or not. I have been to PAMF (Palo Alto Medical Foundation) and they charge an arm and leg for a few minute visit with their doctors ($180 for routine visit and the doctor spends not even 5 minutes with me). Blue Shield is a a ruthless insurance company that thrives on other people's misery and fear. Sutter tries to play the game of patient care which we all know is not this is about.

This is one of the main reasons this country must move to universal health care, as most of the other educated countries have. There shoud be NO insurance companies. There should be just ONE. There would be tremendous savings if we didn't have to pay the million dollar salaries to middlemen executives. Government takeover of healthcare? Hell yes!! Definitely as soon as possible please. Get those insurance executive millionaires out of work now.

As Blue Cross and Sutter push at each other, I do NOT know enough to have an opinion on a fair settlement. As a member of Sutter's PAMF, I CAN say with authority that their charges for services are sometimes ludicrous. My Doc once squeezed a bug bite and it was billed "surgery" for $325. Amazing.

A lot of businesses will be dropping Blue Shield so employees can keep PAMF

The whole insurance thing is a complete debacle! I just got kicked off a perfectly good plan and now pay through my teeth for an awful one. What I had was working for me. What I have now works against me. If the ACA had been allowed to be more robust, (and yes, this would have cost more), it would be worth it. As it is now, it's garbage and people are starting to realize it.