WA sues DaVita, Fresenius over noncompete agreements at dialysis centers

Washington is suing the state’s two biggest dialysis companies over what it claims are illegal noncompete agreements that effectively reduce treatment options for people with kidney failure. In a complaint filed Tuesday in Thurston County Superior Court, Attorney General Nick Brown alleges DaVita and Fresenius require medical directors who oversee kidney dialysis centers to sign illegal noncompete agreements. kAm&?56C E96 =2H A2DD65 :? a_`h[ @?=J 6>A=@J66D 2?5 4@?EC24E@CD H9@ >66E 46CE2:? D2=2CJ E9C6D9@=5D 42? 36 3@F?5 E@ ?@?4@>A6E6 28C66>6?ED] %92E H:== 492?86 DE2CE:?8 yF?6 b_[ a_af[ H96? E96 =2H 6IA2?5D E@ 32? 2== ?@?4@>A6E6 28C66>6?ED 7@C (2D9:?8E@? H@C<6CD]k^Am kAmqFE E96 DE2E6 2C8F6D E92E s2':E2VD 2?5 uC6D6?:FDV 28C66>6?ED 2C6 G@:5 6G6? F?56C E96 4FCC6?E =2H[ 3642FD6 E96 4@>A2?:6D’ >65:42= 5:C64E@CD 2C6 A2CE E:>6 2?5 A2:5 72C 36=@H E96 D2=2CJ E9C6D9@=5 7@C :?56A6?56?E 4@?EC24E@CD W2 =:EE=6 @G6C Sb`f[___ :? a_aeX]k^Am kAm%96 ?@?4@>A6E6 28C66>6?ED AC6G6?E E96 4@>A2?:6DV >65:42= 5:C64E@CD 7C@> E2<:?8 @? A2CE\E:>6 H@C< 2E 2 4@>A6E:?8 46?E6C :? E96 D2>6 2C62] %92E 42? 2=D@ >62? A9JD:4:2?D 42??@E AC@G:56 2E\9@>6 EC62E>6?E H:E9:? 2 46CE2:? 86@8C2A9:4 C25:FD]k^Am kAm%96 28C66>6?ED 42? 2AA=J E@ 6?E:C6 >65:42= AC24E:46D[ AC6G6?E:?8 2 >65:42= 5:C64E@C’D 4@==628F6D 7C@> H@C<:?8 7@C 4@>A6E:?8 5:2=JD:D 46?E6CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6’D =2HDF:E]k^Am kAm“%96J’C6 5@:?8 E92E E@ 4@C?6C E96 >2C<6E 2?5 5:4E2E6 E@ 5@4E@CD H96C6 E96J 42? 2?5 42?’E H@C<[ 3FE E92E =62G6D A6@A=6 H:E9 76H6C @AE:@?D 7@C 42C6[” qC@H? D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6 %F6D52J]k^Am kAmp DA@<6DA6CD@? 7@C s2':E2 D2:5 E96 =2HDF:E’D 2==682E:@?D AC6D6?E 2 “7F?52>6?E2==J 5:DE@CE65” A:4EFC6 @7 :ED >65:42= 5:C64E@C 28C66>6?ED]k^Am kAm“%96D6 2C6 =@?8DE2?5:?8 2CC2?86>6?ED H:E9 :?56A6?56?E A9JD:4:2? AC24E:46D[ 2?5 >65:42= 5:C64E@CD 2C6 72C >@C6 E92? 25>:?:DEC2E@CD[” E96 DA@<6DA6CD@? HC@E6 :? 2? 6>2:= E@ %96 $62EE=6 %:>6D] “%96J 2C6 ?6A9C@=@8:DED H9@D6 4=:?:42= ;F58>6?E[ 6IA6CE:D6 2?5 =6256CD9:A 2C6 6DD6?E:2= E@ BF2=:EJ[ D276EJ 2?5 A2E:6?E 42C6]”k^Am kAmuC6D6?:FD 5:5 ?@E :>>65:2E6=J C6DA@?5 E@ C6BF6DED 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^Am kAms2':E2 2?5 uC6D6?:FD 5@>:?2E6 E96 <:5?6J 5:2=JD:D 46?E6C >2C<6E — 3@E9 :? (2D9:?8E@? 2?5 ?2E:@?H:56[ H96C6 E96J @A6C2E6 2 4@>3:?65 f_T @7 5:2=JD:D 46?E6CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 =2HDF:E]k^Am kAmp3@FE h[___ A6@A=6 24C@DD (2D9:?8E@? C646:G6 5:2=JD:D EC62E>6?E 7@C <:5?6J 72:=FC6] p=E9@F89 EC62E>6?E :D A@DD:3=6 2E 9@>6 H:E9 E96 C:89E 6BF:A>6?E[ :E FDF2==J @44FCD 2E 2 5:2=JD:D 46?E6C E9C66 E:>6D 2 H66< 7@C D6G6C2= 9@FCD 2E 2 E:>6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=’D @77:46]k^Am kAms2':E2 2?5 :ED DF3D:5:2C:6D @A6C2E6 d` 5:2=JD:D 46?E6CD 24C@DD (2D9:?8E@?[ H9:=6 uC6D6?:FD |65:42= r2C6 w@=5:?8D 2?5 :ED DF3D:5:2C:6D CF? ah]k^Am kAm$E2E6 2EE@C?6JD 2C8F6 E92E E96 FD6 @7 ?@?4@>A6E6 AC@G:D:@?D 96=AD E96 EH@ 4@>A2?:6D >2:?E2:? >@?@A@=:6D :? 46CE2:? 2C62D] x? >2?J 4@F?E:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 r=2C<[ {6H:D[ $A@<2?6 2?5 %9FCDE@?[ s2':E2 @C uC6D6?:FD 2C6 E96 @?=J @AE:@?D 7@C :?\46?E6C 5:2=JD:D EC62E>6?E[ 2EE@C?6JD D2:5]k^Am kAm(2D9:?8E@? C6BF:C6D DE2E6 2AAC@G2= 367@C6 2 ?6H <:5?6J 5:2=JD:D 46?E6C 42? @A6?[ H:E9 E96 2AA=:42?E ?665:?8 E@ 56>@?DEC2E6 2 86?F:?6 ?665 7@C E96 D6CG:46 :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ] qFE s2':E2 2?5 uC6D6?:FD 92G6 2 9:DE@CJ @7 :?E6CG6?:?8 :? E92E AC@46DD[ 2C8F:?8 E96:C 4@>A6E:E@CDV >65:42= 5:C64E@CD H6C6 3@F?5 3J ?@?4@>A6E6 28C66>6?ED 2?5 F?23=6 E@ D6CG6 2E E96 ?6H 724:=:EJ]k^Am kAm“%96 =24< @7 4@>A6E:E:@? :? E9:D DA246 C65F46D E96 :?46?E:G6 7@C :>AC@G65 BF2=:EJ[ :??@G2E:@?[ 2?5 2446DD E@ 42C6] %96 =24< @7 4@>A6E:E:@? 42FD6D 4@?4C6E6 92C> E@ E96 A2E:6?E A@AF=2E:@?[” E96 DE2E6 2EE@C?6JD HC@E6 :? E96 4@>A=2:?E]k^Am kAm%9:D :D?’E E96 7:CDE E:>6 s2':E2’D 2?5 uC6D6?:FD’ ?@?4@>A6E6 28C66>6?ED 92G6 4@>6 F?56C 7:C6]k^Am kAmx? a_ac[ E96 u656C2= %C256 r@>>:DD:@? 2??@F?465 :E H2D :?G6DE:82E:?8 H96E96C E96 4@>A2?:6DV ?@?4@>A6E6 28C66>6?ED 92G6 C6DF=E65 :? 2 D@CE @7 >2C<6E 5F@A@=J] qFE E96 u%r ?6G6C 7:=65 2 =2HDF:E @C D92C65 E96 C6DF=ED @7 E96 :?G6DE:82E:@?]k^Am kAmx? s646>36C a_ad[ &]$] $6?] #:492C5 q=F>6?E92=[ s\r@??][ AF3=:4=J FC865 E96 u%r E@ C6=62D6 E96 7:?5:?8D @7 :ED :?G6DE:82E:@? 2?5 DE6A FA 6?7@C46>6?E 282:?DE E96 4@>A2?:6D] qFE E96 u%r 92D >256 ?@ >@G6D E@ 5@ D@]k^Am kAm“(6 C6>2:? :? 24E:G6 5:D4FDD:@?D H:E9 E96 u656C2= %C256 r@>>:DD:@? C682C5:?8 E96D6 2CC2?86>6?ED 2?5 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ G:8@C@FD=J 5676?5 3@E9 E96:C =2H7F=?6DD 2?5 E96 4C:E:42= C@=6 A9JD:4:2?D A=2J :? 42C:?8 7@C A6@A=6 H:E9 <:5?6J 72:=FC6[” E96 s2':E2 DA@<6DA6CD@? D2:5]k^Am