For now, to what Elsey and Isley attest is sealed

An order entered this week by the sitting judge in the case of Prisma Health versus United Healthcare seals the affidavits of two Prisma Health officers.  The hospital corporation and the health insurer are at loggerheads over whether Prisma Health will continue to honor claims from patients insured by United Healthcare.  The affidavits are those of Matthew Elsey and Malcolm Isley.  Judge Perry Gravely’s order yesterday reads: “counsel for the Parties shall consult in good faith to attempt to reach an agreement on what portions, if any, of the Elsey and Isley Affidavits can be redacted and filed in the public record….”  Gravely’s order also reads: “Based on the confidentiality provisions in the Parties’ Agreements, the Court finds that the Parties have an expectation of confidentiality, and the Parties may be harmed by the disclosure of confidential information.  The Court finds that the sealing of these records serves the public interest due to the particular nature of contract negotiations and their impact on the public health.”