Opinion ID: 901638
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Contract Theories

Text: [¶ 10.] The circuit court that dismissed Nygaard's and Dosch's breach of contract theories viewed the essence of their claims as contentions that the Hospitals breached the contracts by not charging Patients the reduced rate that insured and Medicare/Medicaid patients received. The circuit court's view was based on the complaints' numerous references to being charged the full, undiscounted cost rather than the discounted rates Hospitals charged insured and Medicare/Medicaid patients. Therefore, when dismissing, the circuit court explained that recognizing such a claim would put the court in the role of a policy maker and usurp the traditional role of the Legislature in regulating hospitals. The circuit court in Burghers' case reached essentially the same conclusion. [¶ 11.] Patients, however, emphatically contend that none of their theories seek entitlement to the discounted rates charged to insured and Medicare/Medicaid patients. They contend that their references to discounted rates were merely pleaded as an illustration that the Hospitals' charges were unreasonable. Thus, on appeal, Patients clarify that they are not claiming entitlement to the discounted prices charged to others. Instead, they first contend that the Hospitals breached the contracts by charging more than an implied, commercially reasonable rate. [4]