East San Gabriel Valley health system Emanate has filed suit against competitor OptumHealth, accusing Optum of an allegedly "concerted effort" to confuse, intimidate and mislead patients who might switch to doctors working through the Emanate system, in a bid to monopolize health care in the region.
The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 20 in Los Angeles federal court.
In the complaint, Emanate accuses Optum of wrongfully interfering in its patient relationships by allegedly misleading patients about their doctors' whereabouts when they switch to Emanate and allegedly intimidating doctors considering a move from Optum to Emanate.
The lawsuit claims this alleged conduct began in late 2022, when several physicians left Optum to become affiliated with Emanate. The lawsuit claims Optum allegedly did not inform patients of their doctors' departures, and merely switched their appointments to other physicians within the Optum system.
According to the lawsuit, Optum then allegedly disciplined other doctors who responded truthfully to patient questions about the change in their care.
"It is one thing if a patient is given the information needed to knowingly choose who will be his or her physician when the doctor changes employers," Emanate wrote in its lawsuit. "It is quite another for Defendants to lie to patients and deliberately conceal the circumstances and whereabouts of the patients’ established physicians."
The lawsuit further accused Optum of engaging in anti-competitive behavior in an attempt to monopolize care in the East San Gabriel Valley region.
The lawsuit accuses Optum of allegedly violating federal antitrust law and California state business practices law, among other counts.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified treble money damages, plus injunctive relief and declaratory relief, plus attorney fees.
Emanate is represented by attorneys Glenn Solomon, Arwen R. Johnson, Ramon A. Miyar, Jason Don A. De Jesus and Robert M. Cooper, of the law firm of King & Spalding, of Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.