NJ Spotlight
9/29/2016
A long-simmering dispute between a for-profit hospital chain and New Jersey’s largest health insurance company was back on the boil this week, as CarePoint Health filed a federal lawsuit claiming that Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield owes $76 million in unpaid bills and has essentially been harassing patients who seek care at its Hudson County facilities.
CarePoint said the insurance giant violated its contract with patients and state and federal laws by not reimbursing the hospitals for treatments provided to more than 7,000 patients between June 2015 and September 20, 2016, according to papers filed Monday in U.S. District Court, in Newark. The suit also claims Horizon contacted patients while in the hospital to say they would deny coverage; encouraged recently admitted patients to transfer to lower-cost facilities; and continues to urge Hudson County residents to seek care elsewhere.