One of Hatch's most cited accomplishments as attorney general was his lawsuit against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. In October 2000, he filed suit against Blue Cross, the state's largest health insurer, alleging that it routinely refused to pay for treatment for children and young adults suffering from mental illness, eating disorders, and chemical dependency. The suit alleged that Blue Cross told some patients who asked the insurance company to pay for treatment for their mentally ill children that they should instead relinquish their children to the juvenile justice system or foster care. Blue Cross vehemently denied the allegations. When Hatch filed the suit, only six families were willing to be named in it because of privacy concerns for their children. Hatch later expanded the lawsuit to include testimony from many more families and from former Blue Cross employees who said they intentionally declined coverage simply to save the insurer money.