7 recent payer legal disputes, settlements

From Anthem's effort to overturn a court order affecting 400,000 patients to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee being sued over firing an unvaccinated employee, here are seven recent legal disputes and settlements, as reported by Becker's.

1. UnitedHealthcare settled a class-action lawsuit over its tiered reimbursement policy for $10 million. The lawsuit alleged the policy cut payments to out-of-network mental health providers by 25 percent to 35 percent. 

2. Anthem filed a pair of motions in Georgia to overturn a court order that required it maintain its in-network contract with Atlanta-based Northside Hospital System through Jan. 31. If approved, Anthem would be allowed to terminate its contract with Northside, affecting 400,000 patients. 

3. New Hampshire became the sixth state to announce a settlement with Centene over its subsidiaries' handling of the state's pharmacy benefit services. An investigation found that inaccurate reporting resulted in at least $2.4 million in losses for the state. The state settled with Centene for $21 million. 

4. United Behavioral Health, a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary, will have to pay out $20 million after losing a California legal battle over denying mental health claims. 

5. Managed care company Paramount Advantage said that if Ohio approves a deal for Anthem to buy its state contract, it would end its ongoing legal contest against the state's Medicaid procurement process. Paramount Advantage has been attempting to overturn Ohio's latest Medicaid contract award after its bid lost. 

6. A pair of Anthem employees are suing the payer over allegedly enforcing lofty enrollment quotes and failing to pay for the overtime required to meet them. 

7. A former employee fired for allegedly violating Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee's social media policies is suing the payer over her termination. The employee was fired after raising concerns over the company's vaccination requirement to state lawmakers.

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