Healthcare Justice Coalition CA Corp. v. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

I. BACKGROUND

On April 24, 2024, Plaintiff commenced this action in Los Angeles County Superior Court. (Id. ¶ 3). Plaintiff is the assignee of various emergency medical groups (the “Providers”) whose physicians rendered emergency care and treatment to patients in several hospitals in California. (Id. ¶ 4). Plaintiff’s mission is to ensure emergency medical providers obtain adequate and full payment for services rendered. (Id. ¶ 3). Defendants are health insurers and/or managed health care companies and service plans. (Id. ¶ 2). Plaintiff alleges that Defendants underpaid or failed to pay for emergency medical services that Providers’ physicians rendered to members and subscribers of Defendants’ healthcare service plans. (Id. ¶ 10). At the time that the physicians rendered the alleged emergency services, the Providers did not have contracts with Defendants; rather, the Providers set their own reasonable rate and charges for the care they provided to Defendants’ members. In other words, they were “out-of-network” providers. (Id. ¶ 22). Plaintiff alleges that, pursuant to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (“EMTALA”), 42 U.S.C. §1395dd, and California…