Humana's government business filed a reverse Freedom of Information Act suit against a federal agency to shield trade secrets regarding its $45 billion Tricare managed care contract, according to Law360.
The Freedom of Information Act is a federal law dictating how and what documents the government can disclose to the public. A reverse FOIA aims to block the release of these records.
The lawsuit, filed by Humana Military in Washington, D.C., federal court May 29, seeks to block the Defense Health Agency's decision to disclose proprietary commercial and technical information used in Humana's bid for the Tricare contract. Tricare provides health insurance to U.S. military members.
The agency selected Humana to manage the care of Department of Defense Tricare members in the program's East Region, and Health Net to manage the contract in its West Region, in July 2016. The DOD unexpectedly dumped UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services when it inked separate five-year contracts with Humana and Health Net, initiating protests that were eventually denied.
Humana did not immediately respond to Becker's Hospital Review's request for comment on its reverse FOIA.