Sparks pediatrician sues insurance provider

RENO (AP) — A Sparks pediatrician has sued an insurance provider, claiming it bilked thousands of northern Nevada doctors out of "tens of millions of dollars" by failing to pay claims and forcing them into "one-sided" contracts.

Dr. Kevin Windisch filed the class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Reno against Hometown Health Plan and Renown Health.

Hometown Health is the largest state-certified and federally qualified health maintenance organization in the region. The suit says Renown Health is the parent company of Hometown, and serves a 17-county region with a population exceeding 750,000.

In his suit, Windisch accuses Hometown Health of improperly denying or lowering reimbursements for physicians.

Renown Health spokesman Don Butterfield said the suit lacks merit and he's confident that Hometown Health reimburses physicians in a timely and fair manner.

He said his company's payment policies are consistent with other local and national insurance companies.

In addition to seeking compensatory and punitive damages, the suit asks the court for an injunction preventing the company from engaging in alleged improper practices affecting doctors.