Patients and customers may end up footing the bills from antitrust lawsuits involving Pittsburgh-based West Penn Allegheny Health System, Highmark and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, according to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review report.
University of Pittsburgh law professor David Harris, JD, said the costs may manifest in different ways, such as customers not having access to the latest medical equipment or paying higher premiums and fees. "The costs of this don't disappear," he said in the report.
A UPMC spokesperson wouldn't estimate how much the system will spend on lawyers, but he agreed with legal experts' speculations that the cost may be in the millions. That cost will be multiplied by three, the spokespersons said, since West Penn and Highmark are facing the same situation.
Pretrial discovery and document review, which all three systems are currently undergoing, is a significant cost factor. This is especially true for complex antitrust matters, as lawyers charge by the hour to analyze documents and determine what information needs to be shared with the other side.
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University of Pittsburgh law professor David Harris, JD, said the costs may manifest in different ways, such as customers not having access to the latest medical equipment or paying higher premiums and fees. "The costs of this don't disappear," he said in the report.
A UPMC spokesperson wouldn't estimate how much the system will spend on lawyers, but he agreed with legal experts' speculations that the cost may be in the millions. That cost will be multiplied by three, the spokespersons said, since West Penn and Highmark are facing the same situation.
Pretrial discovery and document review, which all three systems are currently undergoing, is a significant cost factor. This is especially true for complex antitrust matters, as lawyers charge by the hour to analyze documents and determine what information needs to be shared with the other side.
More Articles on UPMC, West Penn Allegheny Health System and Highmark:
Judge Denies UPMC's Request to Halt Antitrust Case; Discovery Period BeginsUPMC Answers West Penn's Antitrust Suit; Claims Highmark is Monopolistic
West Penn Could Oppose UPMC's Request to Halt Antitrust Suit