Earlier this week, UPMC announced that it will no longer require patients with Medicare Advantage coverage through Highmark to pay for services in advance once their consent decrees expire on June 30.
UPMC also decided to allow access to in-network rates for all Highmark or Blue Cross/Blue Shield patients seeking oncology care and follow-up treatments at its Hillman Cancer Center locations across Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Shapiro wants to extend the consent decrees between the competing Pennsylvania nonprofit health care giants. It is part of his four-count civil complaint against UPMC.
Pennsylvania AG’s office focuses arguments on “modification” option in the consent decrees
During a court hearing on Monday, Executive Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Goldman argued that the 2014 consent decrees authorize the Pennsylvania Attorney General to extend the terms of the agreements between UPMC and Highmark.
“UPMC never negotiated for a carve-out to exclude the termination date from modification — they never did it. UPMC never negotiated for a carve-out to exclude the termination date from modification — they never did it,” said Goldman.
