The Department of Justice has stood behind medical practices in lawsuits against multiple health insurance plans and a data analytics company.
According to the March 27 court filing, the DOJ’s antitrust division challenged legal arguments made by data analytics company Claritev, formerly known as Multiplan, and other defendants in their attempt to dismiss a series of class action lawsuits.
Last year, several healthcare organizations alleged major payers were commonly using a Claritev software tool as a part of a price-fixing conspiracy that underpaid the providers billions of dollars in reimbursement rates for out-of-network services, Medical Buyer reported March 28.
The lawsuits were consolidated before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly. Multiplan declined to comment to Medical Buyer on the lawsuits but said that they are “without merit and would ultimately increase prices for patients and employers.” Other defendants have also denied wrongdoing, according to the report.
“Competitors’ use of algorithmic technologies to coordinate their decision-making poses a growing threat to the free market competition on which our economic system is premised,” the DOJ said in its filing.
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