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We've concluded that we are on the wrong side of this issue. We have done a lot at Blue Cross around the issue of tobacco cessation and prevention of smoking. We have members that are nonsmokers and we want to reward them in any way that we can.Richard Neuner, senior vice president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, which will issue refunds to nonsmoking policyholders who claim they were unfairly charged higher smokers' premium rates.
This case could well have a deterrent effect, alerting potential future malefactors to the possibility of liability under [ 349 of New York Business Law], and perhaps convincing them (upon advice from their attorneys) to avoid entering into similar harmful tactics. Federal Judge Jack B. Weinstein, in his decision awarding nearly $38 million in legal fees to New York-based Dewey Ballantine for representing Blue Cross and Blue Shield in last year's successful suit against the tobacco industry -- costing the tobacco defendants more than twice the amount of the jury verdict. Perrotta, T.