The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has turned back UPMC's efforts to keep its dispute with Highmark over the pricing of cancer treatment services in arbitration.

The high court on July 25 issued a one-page per curiam order in Highmark v. UPMC denying the hospital company's petition for allocatur in the case. The order lets stand a ruling from the state Superior Court, which had said Highmark's lawsuit should be heard in court rather than sent to arbitration.

In December, a unanimous three-judge panel of the intermediate court rejected UPMC's attempts to arbitrate claims lodged by Highmark, a health care insurance provider. Highmark claimed the hospital network improperly changed its billing practices for oncology-related services.