Some policyholders of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana have said they want more information on the pros and cons of the proposed sale of the company to Elevance Health.

Policyholders said they want to know about future price increases, whether there will be any reduction of services, and any other facts that have been collected by all the parties involved but which haven’t been publicized.

Two public hearings are planned to discuss the pending sale. The first hearing will be held by the Legislature’s Joint House and Senate Insurance Committee and the second by the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

The legislative hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16, in Room 1 at the state Capitol. The hearing will be conducted by representatives of Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Elevance Health and the Department of Insurance.

Southwest Louisiana members of the joint committee are Sens. Mike Reese, R-Leesville, and Jeremy Stine, R-Lake Charles.

Any persons who can’t give public testimony can email a statement to h-ins@legis.la.gov and it has to be received prior to noon on Tuesday, Aug. 15.

A two-day hearing will take place on Aug. 21 and 22 at the Department of Insurance that is located at 1702 N. Third St. in Baton Rouge. Both sessions will start at 10 a.m.

The department hearing is being held to determine whether Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Louisiana will be allowed to convert from a mutual insurance company to a stock insurance company, according to a news report in The Advocate.

If that conversion is approved, the state will hold another public hearing on the pending purchase.

Members of the public will be allowed to comment on the Blue Cross conversion. The meeting will also be streamed online with details to be released at a later date.

Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Louisiana is the state’s largest insurer with more than 1.9 million policyholders. It would be the 15^th state-run Blue Cross plan to join Elevance Health, formerly known as Anthem.

The newspaper said the transaction is valued at $3.5 billion, according to documents Blue Cross has filed with the Department of Insurance. Blue Cross has said it plans to distribute about $180 million from the proceeds of the sale among nearly 95,000 eligible members.

Not all people who are covered by Blue Cross are eligible for payments. For example, a business may have a policy with the company and be eligible, but the employees covered under the policy might not be.

The sale is expected to create a $3 billion private foundation known as the Accelerate Louisiana Initiative that will aim to address health inequities in the state.

Forbes magazine in a January article on the sale quoted Dr. I. Steven Udvarhelyi, Blue Cross and Blue Shield president and CEO, who said the sale to Elevance will help the insurer “to remain strong in today’s environment with an ability to provide leading innovations, products, and capabilities.”

A special meeting of voting members is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 6 at the Blue Cross offices at 5525 Rietz Ave. in Baton Rouge to vote on the plan of reorganization.

A handout sent to members mentioned creation of the foundation and said the company will remain local with the same network of healthcare providers. It adds that plans aren’t changed and Blue Cross will have access to greater financial services.