Health Net Says Court Blocks Competitor

Health Net, the state's second-largest health maintenance organization, said it has won a court order that blocks USA Healthnet, another major health-care concern, from operating in California under the USA Healthnet name.

Health Net, based in Woodland Hills, filed suit in federal court in Los Angeles to preempt confusion among consumers. U.S. District Judge David Kenyon granted a preliminary injunction that requires USA Healthnet to stop using the name in California within six months, Health Net said.

"It is essential that Health Net, with its 900,000 members statewide, must avoid all likelihood of possible confusion in our marketplace," Stephen Vogt, Health Net's vice chairman, said in a statement.

USA Healthnet, based in Phoenix, is a so-called preferred provider organization (PPO) that offers discounted fees for patients who see certain doctors enrolled in the system. The company's executives and lawyer did not return telephone calls seeking comment.