The case, filed in 2005, alleges that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, United Healthcare Services and Coventry Health Care of Kansas violated antitrust laws through monopolistic behavior such as fixing prices. The physicians had asked the court for triple the damages.
The appeals court sided with Blue Cross and United Healthcare, which argued that that the antitrust claims were covered by arbitration agreements.
Coventry had arbitration clauses in its contracts with the physicians, but chose not to impose them, according to The Kansas City Star.
The accused insurers deny that they conspired to limit physician reimbursements.
Humana, which was named in the original lawsuit, agreed in March to pay $2.8 million to settle similar allegations against it.
Learn more about the Missouri physicians’ antitrust lawsuit from The Kansas City Star.
