From Sen. Fontana
New Development in Highmark-WPAHS Case
Robinson-area state Sen. Wayne Fontana discusses a ruling from the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court regarding the situation between Highmark and the West Penn Allegheny Health System.
In June 2011, Highmark, the region’s dominant health insurer, and West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS), the second largest hospital network in the area, announced an agreement for what they called a “capital partnership.” Highmark would begin to invest $475 million in terms of grants, loans and donations over four years to stabilize the financially ailing WPAHS. This infusion of funding would also grant the hospital system the ability to continue to deliver quality medical services until the two entities could navigate regulatory approval requirements by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. More importantly, this newly formed alliance was created in order to preserve healthcare choice in our region. By November 2011, Highmark …
