West Penn countersues insurer Highmark over broken deal

(Reuters) – Pennsylvania’s troubled West Penn Allegheny Health System on Tuesday accused insurer Highmark Inc. of breaching a $475 million merger agreement, saying Highmark tried to force it into bankruptcy to lower debt as a condition of the planned affiliation. The countersuit is a rebuttal to an October 1 lawsuit that Highmark filed in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. Highmark is seeking to block West Penn from talking to other potential investors and claims that West Penn violated their contract by pulling out of the deal. The suit by Pittsburgh-based Highmark, a top-10 U.S. …