AHA yesterday filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to affirm a federal jury’s unanimous 2022 verdict in favor of Sutter Health and certain affiliates in a lawsuit that alleged the California-based integrated health care network violated federal antitrust law in their arrangements with health plans. 
 
“To provide care in this precarious economic environment, hospitals must guard against unanticipated revenue shortfalls—or, at the very least, ensure predictable revenue streams,” the brief notes. “Hospitals thus provide commercial health insurance networks significant discounts in exchange for receiving a higher volume of patients seeking ‘in-network’ care. To protect the benefit of their bargain, hospitals negotiate contractual guarantees against insurers unilaterally changing agreed-upon terms of network participation status during the term of the contract,” provisions that are fully consonant with California’s Health Care Providers’ Bill of Rights and were endorsed by plaintiffs’ own expert.
 

Related News Articles

Headline
The AHA Oct. 3 responded to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s recent analysis on the financial impacts of Medicare Advantage enrollment growth on…
Perspective
Public
“Trust but verify” is a phrase often associated with President Reagan and the need to ensure that treaties enacted with the Soviet Union were being upheld.…
Headline
An analysis published Sept. 30 by KFF found that Health Insurance Marketplace enrollees who currently benefit from the enhanced premium tax credits would pay…
Headline
The AHA Sept. 29 sent recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help ensure…
Headline
The Census Bureau reported (https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/acsbr-024.pdf) that the uninsured rate increased nationally to 8.2% in 2024…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center Sept. 2 announced changes to the Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design…