Supreme Court of Florida

A medical service provider may bring a cause of action as a third-party beneficiary to a contract between a health maintenance organization (HMO) and its subscriber based on allegations that the HMO failed to comply with Florida Statutes section 641.3155, the -prompt pay provisions- of the Health Maintenance Organization Act.

Appellate Information

• Decided 10/19/2006
• Published 10/19/2006

Judges

• BELL, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of Florida

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Craig J. Trigoboff and Glenn Jerrold Waldman of Waldman, Feluren, Hildebrant and Trigoboff, P.A., Weston, FL, for Petitioners Foundation Health, A Florida Health Plan, Inc., and Vista Health Plan, Inc. f/k/a HIP Health Plan of Florida, Inc., Nancy W. Gregoire, W. Edward McIntyre, and Daniel Alter of Bunnell, Woulfe, Kirschbaum, Keller, McIntyre and Gregoire, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, FL, for Petitioners Health Options, Inc. and Health Options Connect, Inc. f/k/a Principal Health Care of Florida, Inc., Andrew S. Berman of Young, Berman, Karpf and Gonzalez, P.A., North Miami Beach, FL, for Petitioner Humana Medical Plan, Inc., Dorothy F. Easley and Steven M. Ziegler of Steven M. Ziegler, P.A., Hollywood, FL, on behalf of America's Health Insurance Plans;  George N. Meros, Jr. and Jason L. Unger of GrayRobinson, P.A., Tallahassee, FL, on behalf of Florida Association of Health Plans;  Edward J. Pozzuoli and Stephanie Alexander of Tripp Scott, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, FL, on behalf of Florida Hospital Association, the Florida College of Emergency Physicians, the Florida Medical Association, and the American Medical Association;  and Bradley Winston, Plantation, FL, Rochelle Bobroff and Michael Schuster, AARP Foundation Litigation, Washington, DC, on behalf of AARP, for Amici Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• Philip M. Burlington of Burlington and Rockenbach, P.A., West Palm Beach, FL, Jeffrey M. Liggio and Jene P. Williams of Liggio, Benrubi and Williams, P.A., West Palm Beach, FL, and Edward H. Zebersky of Zebersky and Payne, LLP, Hollywood, FL, for Respondents Westside EKG Associates.