UPMC Presenting Case On Day 2 Of Hearings With Highmark
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Lawyers for UPMC are making their case today in Harrisburg.
They arrived at court Tuesday morning as the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office tries to extend the deadline of the business arrangement between Highmark and UPMC.
Highmark and AG Josh Shapiro's office presented their arguments on Monday in efforts to extend the agreement past the June 30 deadline.
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If it expires, Highmark customers would lose access to most UPMC doctors and facilities.
But UPMC wants the arrangement to expire.
UPMC Chief Counsel Tom McGough took the stand Tuesday morning. During his testimony, he insisted that a modification clause was not a substitute for an expiration extension provision that he took out, saying that would be "fraud."
McGough insists he welcomed modification clause because it had nothing to do with extension. "We or drafting on the fly. I suspected we were missing stuff. It would be helpful to have a modification clause." @KDKA https://t.co/PPabGWo44G
— Jon Delano KDKA (@JonDelano) June 11, 2019
Both sides say they're optimistic.
"We're confident in the case that the Office of Attorney General put on here in Commonwealth Court," said Joe Grace, the spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office.
"We look forward to presenting our case and the rest of our evidence, which is very strong in court," said UPMC spokesperson Paul Wood.
Stay with KDKA for Jon Delano's full reports on this story at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
