Article
The allegations
Attorney General Kris Mayes filed suit June 1 in Maricopa County Superior Court against MultiPlan, which now operates as Claritev, and Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Elevance Health, Health Care Service Corp., Centene and Molina. The state alleges the insurers shared confidential claims and payment data with MultiPlan, which used it to set out-of-network payment amounts instead of letting each insurer compete on price.
According to the state, each low payment fed back into the system and pushed later payments lower. Providers had little room to negotiate, and patients were left with larger bills, especially in rural areas and at mental health clinics. MultiPlan allegedly earned a percentage of the amounts saved, while insurers charged employers shared-savings fees. The state also brings a consumer fraud claim, alleging the defendants hid that a third party, not the insurer, set provider payments.
Arizona seeks an injunction, restitution, disgorgement and civil penalties, with alleged damages reaching back to 2015. Aetna said it denies the allegations, and Claritev called them without merit.
Context for hospital leaders
Earlier litigation against MultiPlan has produced mixed results. Some suits have been dismissed, while a federal judge allowed certain state antitrust and consumer protection claims to proceed. A case brought by a state attorney general carries different weight because it comes with investigative resources and public enforcement power. Claritev has also disclosed receiving a confidential grand jury subpoena in 2024.
Practical steps now
- Pull out-of-network and rental network claims repriced through MultiPlan or Claritev programs and compare payments with billed charges and contracted rates over several years.
- Review rental network agreements to understand when claims can be treated as out of network.
- Preserve repricing notices and appeal outcomes in case they become relevant to litigation or a settlement.
- Ask your state hospital association whether similar actions are being considered in your state.
Even if the case takes years, it may bring more transparency about how repricing tools work, which would strengthen hospitals’ hand in payer negotiations.
Archive entry for Jun 5, 2026, added Nov. 11, 2026.