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On Jan. 1, UPMC will achieve its long-sought divorce from Highmark. The separation will undoubtedly disrupt care, add untold stress and potentially harm thousands. UPMC, in refusing even to negotiate a renewed contract, has plainly driven the breakup.
UPMC\u2019s grounds for divorcing Highmark are tenuous. In testimony to the Legislature, UPMC complained that Highmark threatens to injure UPMC by \u201csteering\u201d patients to the \u201cnow-struggling\u201d Allegheny Health Network, which Highmark has supported to serve as competitive foil to UPMC.
UPMC further explained, \u201cWestern Pennsylvania simply has too many hospital beds, and any gain in admissions at one hospital must come at the expense of other hospitals.\u201d
In brief, UPMC believes competition against Highmark is good, but competition against UPMC is bad. UPMC touts creation of the UPMC Health Plan as \u201ca competitive thorn in Highmark\u2019s side,\u201d but derides its own competitors as malevolent meddlers. As once explained by its CEO, UPMC\u2019s goal is to create a \u201cbenevolent monopoly.\u201d Unfortunately, monopolies are rarely benevolent, and there is nothing suggesting that UPMC would forgo (untaxed) profits for the public good.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nOp Ed Columns – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"