A judge denied Prisma Health's request for a temporary restraining order preventing UnitedHealthcare from disclosing details about contract negotiations to the press.
In an order filed in South Carolina's 13th judicial court on Sept. 8, a judge wrote that Greenville-based Prisma "failed to establish the grounds necessary for a temporary injunction."
In initial court filings, Prisma Health alleged UnitedHealthcare breached its contract with the system by disclosing information about Prisma Health's rate proposals to several media outlets, and by not providing a copy of any statement issued to the media at least 48 hours in advance.
The judge rejected Prisma's requests to issue a temporary restraining order barring UnitedHealthcare from making public any confidential information from Prisma and from making any statements to the media about Prisma without 48 hours' notice.
In responses filed in court, UnitedHealthcare said it only issued statements to media outlets when reporters asked for a response to a letter sent to Prisma Health patients who received benefits through UnitedHealthcare only. The communication informed members UnitedHealthcare and Prisma Health will go out of network if they did not reach a new contract agreement by Jan. 1, 2024.
Prisma Health alleged UnitedHealthcare violated its contract by disclosing the health system's proposed rate increases for commercial plans, which the system alleged was confidential. In its response, UnitedHealthcare said its statements to the press did not "disclose proprietary business information."
Becker's has reached out to Prisma Health for comment and will update this article if more information becomes available.