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US: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma escapes antitrust action

By  |  June 29, 2016

District Judge Claire Eagan dismissed the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSO) from an antitrust suit brought by a disgruntled health care provider, Bristow Endeavor Healthcare, finding that plaintiff’s assertion that the Blues had participated in an unlawful antitrust conspiracy failed to state a claim against these defendants.

The case, Bristow Endeavor Healthcare v. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, involves a claim by a Tulsa-based health care provider, Bristow, that its request to have its ambulatory surgery center – the Center for Orthopaedic Resconstruction and Excellence – granted in-network status by BCBSO was thwarted by an unlawful agreement between the Blues and a rival health system – Hillcrest/Ardent. Specifically, Bristow alleged that BCBSO had denied Bristow’s request at the behest of Hillcrest/Ardent, which Bristow alleged is its largest competitor in Northeast Oklahoma/Tulsa.

Full Content: JDSupra

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