A federal judge dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and several of its subsidiaries last week. The lawsuit accused the companies of charging members hidden and excessive fees for prescription drugs, according to Bloomberg Law.
On Dec. 19, the judge dismissed 18 separate claims against UnitedHealth, OptumRx, Oxford Health and others named in the lawsuit. The judge said the allegations failed to show the defendants violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act or federal racketeering law through an overcharging scheme, as accused in the lawsuit.
UnitedHealth's case marks the first substantial ruling amid a slew of recent lawsuits filed against large health insurers concerning prescription drug pricing, Bloomberg Law reports. Similar cases accusing Humana and Cigna of overcharging for drugs are pending.
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