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Article: Two health plans settle tobacco dispute; HealthPartners had challenged the way Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota was planning to spend the $469 million it will receive as its share of a settlement with tobacco companies.(BUSINESS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- January 23, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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HealthPartners said Friday that it will withdraw a legal challenge that threatened to block plans by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota to spend the $469 million it received from the tobacco lawsuit settlement.
Under an agreement brokered by Deputy Commerce Commissioner Patrick Nelson, the 11th-hour deal ends what had become a contentious dispute between two of Minnesota's largest health plans.
HealthPartners had contended that the influx of the tobacco money into Blue Cross' bank accounts would have put other health plans at a competitive disadvantage.
But after intense negotiations Thursday and Friday, Blue Cross agreed to accounting ...