Surgical Care Affiliates, Inc.

Surgical Care Affiliates was indicted by the feds on similar charges in January 2021.  A federal judge ruled this week that a proposed class-action suit against three massive healthcare companies over an alleged anti-poaching arrangement must move forward. The suit, originally filed in March 2021, claims that UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Surgical Care Affiliates, DaVita and Tenet Healthcare affiliate Surgical Partners International had an arrangement in place between 2010 and 2017 where they agreed not to poach senior executives from one another. While the case against SCA, DaVita and SPI will continue, Illinois Judge Andrea Wood ruled that there is no evidence to support allegations that UHG played a direct role in the alleged conspiracy. UnitedHealth's Optum acquired SCA in 2017, and, as the medical group essentially continued as is under the Optum umbrella, there is limited evidence that UnitedHealth was directly involved, Wood said. "Plaintiffs fall well short of pleading a basis for piercing the corporate veil to hold UHG liable for SCA’s antitrust violations," she said. Former SCA executive Allen Spradling filed the initial suit, and Wood agreed that SCA, DaVita and SPI must face the alleged Sherman Act violations, which claims the arrangement created an unlawful "restraint of trade." SCA was indicted by the feds on similar charges in January 2021. 

The 2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 with 670 horsepower. And the wheels, wing and aero bits are composites. Photo Credit: Chevrolet Although we could tell you about the 5.5-liter, naturally aspirated V8 in the unveiled 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 that produces 670 horsepower, or the fact that the chassis for the Z06 is the same chassis that has been used since 2020 on the Corvette Racing C8.R, we won’t. Instead, let’s focus on the composites involved: Carbon fiber wheels are available, which reduce unsprung weight by 41 pounds. There is an interior package that includes a carbon fiber-wrapped steering wheel, shift paddles and trim. A carbon fiber aero package consists of a larger front splitter, front-corner carnards, a pedestal mounted rear wing and underbody aero strakes. An available Z07 performance package — for those who are looking for massive downforce (i.e., 734 pounds at 186 miles per hour) — includes a carbon fiber high rear wing and ground effects. According to Chevy, the car, with the carbon fiber wheels and the Z07 package, has a dry weight of 3,434 pounds. While that is actually heavier than a standard Corvette Stingray by 68 pounds (see CW’s coverage on this, Part 1 and Part 2), know that (1) the Z06 is 3.6 inches wider and (2) the Stingray’s 6.2-liter V8 produces only 495 horsepower.

From Allscripts suing a health IT startup claiming that it stole trade secrets to an Alaska physician winning just $1 in damages from a lost hospital privileges suit, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 1. Providence owes physician $1 in damages over lost hospital privileges Providence owes a plastic surgeon just $1 in damages for unlawfully terminating his hospital privileges, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled May 19. 2. Failed New York health insurer gets $220M settlement from US A liquidated New York health insurer will recover $220.8 million from the U.S. to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the federal government failed to distribute payments under an ACA program. 3. HHS must recalculate hospitals' Medicare pay for training physicians, court rules Hundreds of hospitals across the U.S. may see a boost in Medicare reimbursements for training physicians in residency programs after a federal court ruling. 4. Allscripts sues health IT startup Andor Health; claims it violated noncompete agreements Chicago-based EHR company Allscripts filed a complaint May 17 against Andor Health, an Orlando, Fla.-based health IT startup, alleging that it breached numerous contracts and stole trade secrets, according to court documents. 5. Judge upholds lawsuit against UHS over 2020 ransomware attack: 5 details A federal judge has tossed two plaintiffs' lawsuits against Universal Health Services over a 2020 ransomware attack that exposed their PHI while greenlighting a third plaintiff's lawsuit alleging that the cyberattack caused him financial harm. 6. Texas AG sues Biden administration over revoked Medicaid funding Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration May 14, alleging that its decision to revoke a state Medicaid funding waiver was an unlawful "power grab." 7. Geisinger, Evangelical ask court to toss suit alleging 'no-poach' deal Geisiger and Evangelical Community Hospital asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the Pennsylvania hospitals had a secret "no-poach agreement" that suppressed healthcare wages in the region, according to a joint motion filed May 17. 8. Sentara sued, accused of trying to wipe out Virginia hospital's cardiology business Chesapeake (Va.) Regional Medical Center is suing Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara, accusing the health system of trying to cripple the medical center's cardiology program to maintain a monopoly on local cardiology services. 9. UnitedHealth's Surgical Care Affiliates fires back at DOJ in collusion case Surgical Care Affiliates, which is part of UnitedHealth Group's Optum division, hit back at the Department of Justice's defense of a federal case accusing SCA of agreeing with competitors to not poach senior-level employees.