The Feb. 22 lead story “UPMC Fires Back with Lawsuit” attempted to provide background to the split between UPMC and Highmark. But the story omitted the critical facts about UPMC’s aggressive acquisition of numerous hospitals and doctors groups that led up to the conflict.

UPMC’s plan was to ignore West Penn Hospital in Bloomfield in its grand plan, a key facility in the city, and let it die. It was only then that Highmark stepped up to save that valuable and storied institution, giving pretense for UPMC to claim that predatory competition was afoot.

Let it be known to all that UPMC is the disruptive and ruthless actor in this entire insurance mess, led by Jeffrey Romoff and supported by a silent and complicit board of directors.

Paul J. Bates
Hampton

First Published: February 25, 2019, 5:00 a.m.