[Federal Register: February 17, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 31)]
[Notices]               
[Page 7506]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17fe04-109]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee Benefits Security Administration

[Exemption Application No. D-11030]

 
Withdrawal of Notice of Proposed Exemption Involving Blue Cross 
and Blue Shield of Kansas (the Company) and Anthem Insurance Companies, 
Inc. (Anthem) Located in Topeka, KS

    In the Federal Register dated January 3, 2002, the Department of 
Labor (the Department) published a notice of proposed exemption (the 
Notice) from the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and from certain taxes imposed 
by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Notice provided 
prospective exemptive relief for the receipt of cash consideration by 
any eligible policyholder of the Company and Anthem which was an 
employee benefit plan (the Plan), including the Company's own in house 
Plan, in exchange for the termination of such Plan's membership 
interest in the Company, in accordance with the terms of a plan of 
conversion adopted by the Company and implemented pursuant to Kansas 
Law. Due to the length of time since the publication of the proposal 
and unresolved litigation between the Company and the Kansas 
Commissioner of Insurance regarding the contemplated demutualization, 
the Department does not believe the Notice, as originally published, 
currently reflects accurate and complete material facts and 
representations. Therefore, the Department has decided to withdraw the 
Notice from the Federal Register.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 10th day of February, 2004.
Ivan L. Strasfeld,
Director of Exemption Determinations, Employee Benefits Security 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 04-3416 Filed 2-13-04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-29-M