Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare and Nashville, Tenn.-based Envision Healthcare will be forced to arbitrate, after the U.S. District Court of Southern Florida granted United's motion to compel arbitration and its stay of action, according to a court filing.
Here's what you should know.
1. UnitedHealthcare petitioned the U.S. District Court of Southern Florida to force Envision into arbitration to settle Envision's suit. The companies have been in a legal battle since March. Envision sued UnitedHealthcare over allegations the payer violated a contract by refusing to add Envision physicians to its network and lowering negotiated payment rates unilaterally. UnitedHealthcare objected to the allegations, and it decided to terminate its contract with Envision as a result.
https://www.beckersasc.com/asc-coding-billing-and-collections/the-saga-ends-unitedhealthcare-to-terminate-envision-contract.html
2. Envision alleged UnitedHealthcare waived its arbitration rights when it changed Envision's payment rate unilaterally. In court, UnitedHealthcare argued it didn't waive its arbitration rights through the contract breach and through its prompt response to Envision's filing.
3. The court also granted UnitedHealthcare's stay of action, dismissing the suit without prejudice.
4. As a result, Envision and UnitedHealthcare must enter independent arbitration to settle their dispute.