MobiMeds, Inc. v. E-MedRX Solutions, Inc.

District Court, C.D. Illinois·Decided October 28, 2021·No. 3:19-cv-03224·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT CENTRAL DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS, SPRINGFIELD DIVISION

MOBIMEDS, INC. d/b/a ) THE PILL CLUB, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Case No. 19-cv-3224 ) E-MEDRX SOLUTIONS, INC. ) And DEBBIE DRENNAN, ) ) Defendants. )

OPINION TOM SCHANZLE-HASKINS, U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE: This matter comes before this Court on Defendants E-MedRx Solutions, Inc. (E-MedRx) and Debbie Drennan’s First Motion to Compel Discovery (d/e 40) (Motion). For the reasons set forth below the Motion is ALLOWED in part and DENIED in part. BACKGROUND Plaintiff Mobimeds, Inc. d/b/a The Pill Club’s (The Pill Club) is a pharmacy in California. The Pill Club signed a contract with Defendant E- MedRx Solutions, Inc. (E-MedRx) to perform services as a Pharmacy Services Administration Organization (PSAO) for The Pill Club. A PSAO processes pharmacy insurance claims submitted to Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) that manage pharmacy benefits plans offered by insurers. The Pill Club alleges that E-MedRx and its chief executive officer Defendant Drennan “engaged in a pattern of fraud and deceit with the

purpose of diverting funds meant for the Plaintiff for their own benefit.” First Amended Complaint and Jury Trial Demand (d/e 13) (Amended Complaint) ¶ 2.

As part of the claims process, E-MedRx was required to provide an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to The Pill Club with each payment of an insurance claim so that The Pill Club could track which claims were paid and how much was paid on each claim. See Amended Complaint ¶¶ 9-15.

The Pill Club alleges that E-MedRx failed to remit monies due or provide required EOBs. The Pill Club alleges that E-MedRx owes it at least $2.5 million in unpaid remittances. Amended Complaint ¶ 20.

The Pill Club alleges Drennan evaded The Pill Club’s efforts to get accurate EOBs and payments. The Pill Club alleges Drennan made false and evasive statements from September 2018 through April 2019 to avoid paying The Pill Club. Amended Complaint ¶¶ 21-30. The Pill Club also

alleges that Drennan and E-MedRx were so connected that the separate corporate existence of E-MedRx should be disregarded: Moreover, Defendant Drennan’s actions and inaction on behalf of E-MedRx, including but not limited to her assertion of personal problems in an attempt to defer the responsibilities of the corporation demonstrate such unity of interest and ownership in E-MedRx that the separate personalities of the corporation and Drennan no longer exist, and that adherence to the fiction of separate corporate existence would sanction a fraud or promote injustice upon Plaintiff.

Amended Complaint ¶ 41. Based on these allegations, The Pill Club asserted state law claims for breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, an accounting, and violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, 815 ILCS 505/1 et seq. Amended Complaint, Counts I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VIII. The Pill Club also asserted a federal claim for violation of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C. § 1964. Amended Complaint, Count

VII. The Pill Club asked the Court in its Prayer for Relief “to pierce the corporate veil of E-MedRx and find Defendant Drennan personally liable for all damages awarded against E-MedRx and Debbie Drennan, personally.” Amended Complaint, Prayer for Relief ¶ 1.i.

E-MedRx moved to dismiss all the claims except one breach of contract claim in Count I of the Complaint. The Court dismissed the accounting claim against Drennan and dismissed the RICO claim with

leave to replead. Opinion entered August 17, 2020 (d/e 22) (Opinion 22), at 44. Defendants also alleged several affirmative defenses. Defendants alleged The Pill Club breached the contract with E-MedRx by falsely

representing that The Pill Club was licensed as a pharmacy in all jurisdictions in which it sold or provided pharmaceutical products. Defendants further alleged that provider networks, PBMs, and insurers

terminated their relationship with The Pill Club. In particular, Humana terminated The Pill Club on August 19, 2019 because The Pill Club sold prescriptions without a license in numerous states. Defendants allege that the termination by Humana constituted a termination by Medicare.

Defendants allege that The Pill Club’s unlawful sale of pharmaceuticals and termination of relationships with Humana and Medicare constituted a material breach of The Pill Club’s agreement with E-MedRx and justified E-

MedRx’s termination of the agreement (collectively the Breach of Contract Defense). Defendants also assert an affirmative defense of fraudulent misrepresentation and inducement based on the alleged false

representation that The Pill Club was a licensed pharmacy in all jurisdictions in which it sold pharmaceuticals (Fraudulent Misrepresentation Defense). Defendants alleged an alternative affirmative defense that the

alleged false representations about The Pill Club’s licensure resulted in a unilateral mistake at the formation of the contract between The Pill Club and E-MedRx and is a basis for rescission of the contract (Unilateral

Mistake Defense). Defendants further alleged affirmative defenses for failure to mitigate damages (Mitigation of Damages Defense) and limitation of damages to exclude consequential, exemplary, punitive, special, or

indirect damages. Defendants alleged that the contract between the parties excluded all such damages. First Amended Answer and Affirmative Defenses to Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint (d/e 32), at 20-24, Affirmative Defenses.

Defendants served interrogatories and request to produce on The Pill Club. The Pill Club responded. Defendants found the responses to be insufficient. The parties met to try and resolve the dispute without success.

Defendants now bring this Motion. Defendants ask the court to compel The Pill Club to provide complete responses to Drennan’s Interrogatory Nos. 2- 5, 7-9, 11-13, and 15-17; E-MedRx’s Interrogatories Nos. 3, 6-9, and 11-15; and Defendant’s Request to Produce Nos. 1-6, 8-9, 13-15, 21, 28-31, 36-

44, 46, 48-55, and 59. The Pill Club opposes the Motion. ANALYSIS Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(1) allows parties to obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the claim or defense of any party. Relevant information need not be admissible at trial if the discovery appears to be reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. The discovery sought must also be proportional to the needs of the case. The rule gives the district courts broad discretion in matters relating to discovery. See Brown Bey v. United States, 720 F.2d 467, 470 471 (7th Cir.1983); Eggleston v. Chicago

Journeymen Plumbers' Local Union 130, 657 F.2d 890, 902 (7th Cir.1981); see also, Indianapolis Colts v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, 775 F.2d 177, 183 (7th Cir.1985) (on review, courts of appeal will only reverse a

decision of a district court relating to discovery upon a clear showing of an abuse of discretion). The federal discovery rules are to be construed broadly and liberally. Herbert v. Lando, 441 U.S. 153, 177 (1979); Jefferys v. LRP Publications,

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MobiMeds, Inc. v. E-MedRX Solutions, Inc., (C.D. Ill. 2021).

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