A rival is suing a radiologist-founded virtual imaging marketplace, alleging its competitor has committed “blatant ongoing theft” of its business model and customers.
MDSave filed its complaint late last month in a Texas district court, targeting Green Imaging and two other companies. Based in Brentwood, Tennessee, MDSave bills itself as the world’s first online healthcare marketplace, partnering with radiologists and other providers to help patients find affordable rates for imaging and numerous additional services.
However, the company claims Green Imaging—alongside similar startups Sesame and Tripment—have committed “blatant ongoing theft and exploitation” of its data, intellectual properties and services. Founded in 2013, MDSave alleges the three firms are illegally attempting to “usurp” clients by falsely claiming they negotiated pricing and signed contracts with radiologists and other providers.
“Put simply, MDSave built its business the old-fashioned way: with ingenuity, time, money, and hard work,” the company said in its complaint, filed Dec. 21. “It brings this action because the three defendants have decided to illegally pilfer and exploit MDSave’s data and copy its patented technology, among other violations.”
Green Imaging, meanwhile, is based in Houston and founded by radiologist Cristin Dickerson, MD, who has served as the firm’s CEO since 2012. The company has clients in 49 states, working with 1,400 imaging facilities, and allows self-pay patients to buy scans from under-capacity centers which are then interpreted by Green Imaging docs. This, the firm said, allows for lower administrative costs, while saving patients and payers on costly radiology services.
Sesame and Tripment, both based in New York, similarly help consumers shop for more affordable imaging, but they go beyond radiology to also target other specialists. Sesame did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Tripment “vehemently and adamantly” denied the lawsuit’s claims. Founder and CEO Alex Radunsky said they are “not based on facts” and only an attempt to “undermine” healthy competition, and he plans to “seriously and vigorously” defend the company in court.
Radiologist Cristin Dickerson also defended her firm on Tuesday. Green Imaging has had a “transparent,” “productive” and “well-documented” working relationship with MDSave over the past few years, and her team was surprised by the lawsuit.
“If MDSave had concerns about our relationship, it would have been helpful to have a conversation with us to express their concern before heading to the courts,” she told Radiology Business. “We believe this lawsuit is without merit, and we intend to vigorously defend it.”
In a press release announcing the lawsuit, MDSave said it has a portfolio of 25 pending or approved patents. The firm and its attorneys claim Green Imaging and others are infringing on its innovations, with leaders planning to launch the first phase of its technology licensing program this month. MDSave said it is seeking to “aggressively protect” its properties and wants a judge to prevent the three from using its patents, protect the firm’s data, and recover any damages caused by the alleged infringement.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.