The Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans...

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans of Maryland and Washington, D.C., said they will join forces through the creation of a holding company with more than $3 billion a year in health insurance revenues. . . . HFS Inc. said its Avis Inc. chairman and chief executive, Joseph Vittoria, will retire Feb. 1. . . . Three current and former executives of foreign-owned companies paid fines of up to $75,000 for conspiring with Decatur, Ill.-based Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. to set world prices for the feed additive lysine. . . . A shareholder lawsuit has delayed a merger between Capitol American Financial Corp., an accident and health insurance provider, and Conseco Inc., a $4.8-billion life and health insurance holding company.