A federal judge has ordered both UPMC and Highmark to drop their respective lawsuits and abide by a 2012 mediated agreement, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Business Times.
The ruling is the third attempt this year to end more than four years of litigation between the Pittsburgh healthcare giants accusing each other of anticompetitive practices.
This ruling would exclude from the agreement a clause Highmark introduced in October that would prevent UPMC from characterizing Highmark as "monopolistic" in litigation brought forth by third parties, including a pending suit in which four plaintiffs are accusing UPMC and Highmark of colluding to inflate prices.
U.S. District Court Judge Joy Flowers Conti was "very disappointed" in Highmark for trying to include the clause in the settlement, according to the report, and will enforce the original mediated resolution without the added provision. As per her ruling, the two organizations now have until Dec. 31 to drop their lawsuits.
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