Court Validates Highmark Medicare Plan that Excludes UPMC

Highmark Inc. won a court ruling Thursday allowing it to exclude University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) hospitals and doctors from some plans it sells to seniors.

Commonwealth Court President Judge Dan Pellegrini denied a request by Attorney General Kathleen Kane and Gov. Tom Corbett's administration to hold Highmark in contempt of a consent decree the state's largest health insurer signed this summer.

Highmark said it will continue selling the Community Blue Medicare Advantage plans, which are less expensive alternatives to broad-network Highmark plans for seniors that include full in-network access to UPMC, the biggest hospital network in Western Pennsylvania.

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