UPMC asks judge to dismiss West Penn lawsuit - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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In a petition to dismiss the complaintffiled Wednesday, UPMC alleged that West Penn Allegheny’z lawsuit was “wholly devoid of actual that would support the idea that UPMC and healtu insurer had conspired to squeeze West Penn Alleghenyg out of the region’s health care “WPAHS’s conspiracy theory is not just unsupported by it simply makes no according to UPMC’s petition.
“WPAHS’ naked assertioj of a conspiracy, without more, merely inviteas a fishing expedition into expensive Inits lawsuit, West Penn Alleghenyg alleged that UPMC and Highmarmk had conspired for several years to restrict competitiomn in the region’s health care market to protecg the dominant share of the hospital and health insurancr market that UPMC and Highmark enjoy, according to the West Penn Allegheny is seeking unspecifier treble damages. Spokesmen from UPMC and Highmarm have deniedthe claims.
UPMC and Highmark are “notorious antagonists, with a bitter historu of fights over reimbursement ratexs and litigation againsteach other,” according to the UPMC also denied lurin g away West Penn Allegheny doctor s to financially cripple the region’s second- largest hospital network, saying the hiring of doctors and formingf joint ventures with hospitals are “aspectz of entirely normal business reflecting actions firms take every day withoutf any hint of illegal conspiracy.” U.S. District Coury Judge Arthur Schwab is handlingthe case, and therew was no indication when he woulsd rule on UPMC’s petition.
West Penn Alleghenyg reported an operating lossof $93.0 million for the year endin g June 30, 2008 and an operating loss of $8.2 milliohn for the third quarter of the current fiscall year, which compares to a loss of $2.9 million for the same period a year ago. Operatingv losses for the nine-month period endingf March 31 reached $34. million, more than twicde the $15.5 million loss reported for the same period in according tounaudited results.