Patients Failed to Allege How They Were Hurt by Alleged Quest Diagnostics Monopoly

A putative class charging Quest Diagnostics Inc. with monopolization of the Northern California diagnostic labs market lacks standing to assert its claims, according to a June 9 decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (Eastman v. Quest Diagnostics Inc., N.D. Cal., 3:15-cv-00415-WHO, 6/9/15).

The plaintiffs, who paid co-payments and deductibles on lab work done at Quest, alleged that Quest has monopolized and “substantially foreclosed competition” in two markets by paying kickbacks to doctors, by colluding with major private health insurers Blue Shield of California and Aetna and by acquiring competing labs in ...