Pittsburgh-based healthcare giants UPMC and Highmark have both followed the orders of a federal judge and dropped their respective antitrust lawsuits, bringing four years of litigation to a close.
On Dec. 19, U.S. District Court Judge Joy Flowers Conti ordered both organizations to drop their respective lawsuits and abide by a 2012 mediated agreement, in the third attempt in 2013 to resolve the ongoing dispute.
A Highmark spokesman said dropping the suits was "consistent with the spirit and intent of the mediated agreement that was brokered by the governor's office in 2012," according to a report in the Pittsburgh Business Journal.
The lawsuits were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be re-filed.
UPMC and Highmark still face another lawsuit — coined "The Royal Mile case" after one of the plaintiffs, property firm Royal Mile — in which four plaintiffs are accusing UPMC and Highmark of colluding to increase their rates.
More Articles on UPMC and Highmark:
UPMC, Highmark Ordered to Drop Lawsuits
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UPMC Asks Judge to Enforce Initial Settlement With Highmark