Third hearing on UPMC-Highmark dispute set for Wednesday

Committee to receive update, discuss potential solutions to impasse

Senate Banking and Insurance Committee Chairman Senator Don White today announced that his committee will hold its third public hearing on the continuing dispute between UPMC and Highmark on Wednesday, November 30.

The committee will convene at 11 a.m. in William Pitt Union Ballroom at the University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh. The primary witnesses at the hearing will be Dr. Ken Melani, President and CEO of Highmark, and Jeffrey Romoff, President and CEO of UPMC.

"The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee will hold the third in a series of hearings regarding the UPMC-Highmark-West Penn Dispute on November 30," Senator White said. "This hearing is intended to provide the Committee with an update on the current status of the situation, discuss potential legislative solutions, explore the outcome of the expiration of the contract, and determine what must be accomplished to answer the questions UPMC has posed since our previous hearing."

The Committee's first hearing was held on September 13 at the University of Pittsburgh with testimony provided by State Insurance Commissioner Michael Consedine; James Donahue, III, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Office of Attorney General, Antitrust Section; Mark Pacella, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Office of Attorney General, Charitable Trusts & Organizations Section; Dr. Tony Farah, Chief Medical Officer, and David McClenahan, a board member, of West Penn Allegheny Health System; and, David Balto, a former policy director with the Federal Trade Commission.

Dr. Melani and Romoff were the featured speakers at the Committee's second hearing, held on September 22 in the Erie Insurance Building in Erie.

Contact:

Joe Pittman
(724) 357-0151