Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Looking for Owners of ‘Forgotten Funds’

UTICA, April 27, 2010 – More than 6,200 individuals and companies in New York state have forgotten nearly $900,000 in checks issued by Excellus Health Plan, including by its d.b.a., Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS). Of that total, more than $130,000 has not been claimed in the Utica/Rome/North Country Region.

This isn’t money left in their pockets, but is in the form of unclaimed checks issued in 2006 to members and providers.

Every year, the state requires insurers like Excellus BCBS to make a list of unclaimed checks that are at least three years old. The names are then placed in advertisements in local papers in an attempt to find the people who have money to claim. If the property is not claimed by the end of August, the money is then turned over to the Comptroller of the State of New York.

“This is money that was paid for claims or refunded premiums. If the money remains unclaimed it will go to the state,” said Eve Van de Wal, Excellus BCBS regional president. “It rightfully belongs to our members or providers and we want to make sure they have one more chance to claim it before it goes to the state.”

Most of the funds that have yet to be redeemed were allocated to Excellus BCBS members and providers. Checks may not have been cashed for a number of reasons. The member may have moved and not left a forwarding address, a member may have died, or the member simply forgot about the money.

A complete list of names of people and companies with checks to claim is available on the company’s Web site at https://www.excellusbcbs.com/wps/portal/xl/our/news/forgottenfunds/

You can also see the legal notices beginning on April 27 in many newspapers across New York state. To claim a check prior to August 31, do one of the following steps:

Via e-mail, contact Customer Services or Provider Services By phone: If you are currently a health plan member, please call the phone number on your member identification card. If you are no longer a health plan member, or if you are calling on behalf of the estate of a family member, call Excellus BlueCross BlueShield: 1 (877) 757-3850.