A New Jersey judge has given New Brunswick, N.J.-based St. Peter's University Hospital the right to keep fighting in its case against Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, according to NJBiz.com.
Last November, St. Peter's sued Horizon in an attempt to stop it from selling discounted insurance plans in its OMINA network without giving St. Peter's a chance to participate. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Judge Frank Ciuffani would determine whether OMINA's exclusion of St. Peter's is illegal.
Now Judge Ciuffani has dismissed St. Peter's motions alleging unfair competition by Horizon, he didn't dismiss the entire case, effectively giving the hospital the go-ahead to keep up its battle.
"There was no deception by Horizon aimed at consumers," Judge Ciuffani's decision said, according to the report.
Jeffrey Greenbaum, an attorney for St. Peter's, said the choice is agreeable. "St. Peter's University Hospital is gratified that Judge Ciuffani sustained the heart of its case seeking to be admitted to Tier 1," Mr. Greenbaum said, according to the report.
Horizon isn't upset, either. "The ruling is a win for the hundreds of thousands of people who have chosen OMINA and a clear rebuke to St. Peter's," Horizon said, according to the report. "The hospital's case was effectively gutted and what remains amounts to no more than a garden variety contract dispute."