A recent Commonwealth Court decision rejecting a bid to secure insurance reimbursement rates put up a roadblock for lawyers seeking the information, but will not prevent discovery through subpoenas on a case-by-case basis, according to attorneys.

In a case involving Highmark, generally regarded as the biggest health insurance provider in Pennsylvania, a lawyer sought those figures, but the judges in a split decision said the state Insurance Department did not have to hand over the data.

In early June, the en banc panel reversed a ruling from the Office of Open Records, which had granted Tucker Arensberg attorney Christopher L. Voltz's request to obtain all documents that Highmark submitted to the Insurance Department regarding its reimbursement adjustments for numerous services. According to his online bio, Voltz is a civil litigator and a member of the firm's municipal group, whose work includes aiding municipalities in responding to Right-to-Know requests.