United States of America v. Pongnorsing et al

Filing 11

STIPULATION and ORDER signed by District Judge Morrison C. England, Jr., on 616/17, ORDERING that Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. is ADDED as garnishee in this case. Arcadian Health Plan is DROPPED as garnishee in this case. All future filings in this case shall IDENTIFY Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. as the sole garnishee. The Defendants and the United States' time to OBJECT to the Answers filed in this case is as stated in 28 U.S.C. § 3205(c)(5). (Kastilahn, A)

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1 PHILLIP A. TALBERT United States Attorney 2 KURT A. DIDIER Assistant United States Attorney 3 501 I Street, Suite 10-100 Sacramento, CA 95814 4 Telephone: (916) 554-2700 Facsimile: (916) 554-2900 5 6 Attorneys for Plaintiff United States of America 7 8 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CASE NO. 2:17-MC-00065-MCE-CKD Plaintiff, 12 13 v. 14 STIPULATION ADDING HUMANA PHARMACY SOLUTIONS, INC. AS GARNISHEE AND DROPPING GARNISHEE ARCADIAN HEALTH PLAN; AND ORDER SUWONNEE PONGNORSING; AND WESTSIDE PLAZA PHARMACY aka WEST MODESTO PHARMACY, 15 Defendants and Judgment Debtors. 16 17 18 ARCADIAN HEALTH PLAN, (and its Successors and Assignees), Garnishee. 19 20 [No hearing requested] Counsel for plaintiff United States and counsel for garnishee Arcadian Health Plan (Arcadian) 21 and proposed garnishee Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. (the Stipulating Entities) hereby stipulate as 22 follows: 23 1. Garnishee Arcadian filed its Acknowledgement of Service and Answer (the Answer) to 24 the United States’ writ of garnishment on May 15, 2017. ECF No. 8. Arcadian disclosed in its Answer 25 that it utilizes Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. as Arcadian’s pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) to 26 negotiate and contract prescription reimbursement rates with retail pharmacies such as defendants 27 Westside Plaza Pharmacy aka West Modesto Pharmacy. Id., at paragraphs 1 – 3. As Arcadian’s PBM, 28 Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. is authorized to, and responsible for contracting, processing, and 00111973.1 RE GARNISHMENT; ORDER STIPULATION 1 1 paying the defendant pharmacies for pharmacy and drug services Defendants provide to Arcadian’s 2 enrollees and members. Id., at paragraph 3. 2. 3 Arcadian does not hold any property in which the Defendants maintain an interest subject 4 to this writ because it uses Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. as its PBM. Id., at paragraph 6. Humana 5 Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. reimburses Defendants for the prescription drug claims Defendants submit for 6 reimbursement. Accordingly, Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. is the proper garnishee in this case. 7 Id., at paragraph 4. 3. 8 Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. filed an Answer to the United States’ writ of 9 garnishment on May 15, 2017. ECF No. 9. Its Answer states it is holding property (prescription drug 10 reimbursement payments) in which the Defendants maintain an interest subject to this garnishment 11 action. Id., at paragraph 6. Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc.’s Answer further states it anticipates 12 owing Defendants drug reimbursement payments in the future. Id., at paragraph 7. 4. 13 Based on the foregoing, the Stipulating Entities agree that the Court can and should enter 14 an order adding Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. as the garnishee and dropping Arcadian as the 15 original garnishee. The Court may add or drop a party in the case “at any time, on just terms.” Fed. R. 16 Civ. P. Rule 21. Granting the requested relief will ensure that the Court can issue an effective decree 17 should it grant the United States’ application for a final order of garnishment directing the payment of 18 funds Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. is currently withholding. The requested order will not 19 prejudice Defendants; they are already aware that the United States seeks to garnish drug 20 reimbursements Defendants transmitted on behalf of patients enrolled in Arcadian’s medical insurance 21 program. ECF No. 7. ECF filing No. 7 includes a notice and instructions to Defendants concerning 22 their rights to oppose this proceeding, as well as the opportunity to object to the Answers filed in this 23 /// 24 /// 25 /// 26 /// 27 /// 28 /// 00111973.1 RE GARNISHMENT; ORDER STIPULATION 2 1 case and request a hearing thereon. Accordingly, the Stipulating Entities request that the Court enter an 2 order as follows: 3 A. Adding Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. as the garnishee in this case; and 4 B. Dropping Arcadian Health Plan as the garnishee in this case. Respectfully submitted, 5 6 FOR THE UNITED STATES: PHILLIP A. TALBERT United States Attorney 7 8 9 Dated: June 5, 2017 By: 10 /s/ Kurt A. Didier KURT A. DIDIER Assistant United States Attorney 11 12 FOR GARNISHEE ARCADIAN HEALTH PLAN AND HUMANA PHARMACY SOLUTIONS, INC.: 13 14 15 Dated: June 5, 2017 By: ALEXANDER L. NOWINSKI DAPONDE, SZABO, ROWE 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 00111973.1 RE GARNISHMENT; ORDER STIPULATION 3 1 ORDER 2 The Court, having reviewed the court files and the Stipulation Adding Humana Pharmacy 3 Solutions, Inc. as Garnishee and Dropping Garnishee Arcadian Health Plan (the “Stipulation”), and good 4 cause appearing therefrom, herby APPROVES the Stipulation. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that: 5 1. Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. is ADDED as garnishee in this case. 6 2. Arcadian Health Plan is DROPPED as garnishee in this case. 7 3. All future filings in this case shall IDENTIFY Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. as the 8 sole garnishee. 9 4. The Defendants and the United States’ time to OBJECT to the Answers filed in this case 10 is as stated in 28 U.S.C. § 3205(c)(5). 11 IT IS SO ORDERED. 12 Dated: June 16, 2017 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 00111973.1 RE GARNISHMENT; ORDER STIPULATION 4

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