From the Blue Cross release: For 32 years, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) has been honored to administer healthcare benefits for the HealthSelect of Texas health plan of the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS). BCBSTX has consistently provided Texas state employees, retirees and their families with broad access to quality, affordable healthcare. Per BCBSTX’s most recent annual survey of benefits coordinators and ERS staff, BCBSTX received 93.5% “excellent” or “very good” service ratings. To protect the interests of both the state and ERS participants, today BCBSTX is filing a formal request to re-examine the process through which ERS recently selected United Healthcare Services, Inc. (United) to become the third-party administrator for the HealthSelect plan. Because of our experience with ERS and its participants, providers and others over the last three decades, we are deeply concerned with the impact ERS’ decision will have on the state of Texas and ERS participants. Here is the declaration of war: Our request seeks to suspend the decision and allow for a transparent and thorough reexamination of all data and information presented during the proposal process, as well as the process itself, to protect the interests of both the state and ERS participants. (my emphasis) [Portions of the release were not published because the present information about Blue Cross’s relative position versus UnitedHealthcare that was previously published here.]