Kansas City-area doctors' antitrust case going to arbitration

The Missouri Court of Appeals has ordered a long-running antitrust case by 3,000 Kansas City-area doctors against several insurers to be submitted to arbitration. The Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling, agreeing with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and United Healthcare Services that the antitrust claims were covered by arbitration agreements. The case, which was filed in 2005, alleges that Blue Cross, United Healthcare and Coventry Health Care of Kansas violated antitrust laws by fixing prices and engaging in other monopolistic behavior.