A federal district court judge denied Oscar's preliminary injunction to stop Florida Blue from enforcing a policy that Oscar said bars Orlando insurance brokers from selling any other insurance if they sell Florida Blue policies.
In a lawsuit filed Nov. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida Orlando Division, Oscar accused Florida Blue of barring Orlando insurance brokers from selling any other insurance if they sell Florida Blue policies. Insurance brokers help Americans choose health insurance policies.
Oscar, which is offering individual health plans in Orlando for the first time in 2019, further claimed Florida Blue's policy allows it to effectively operate as a monopoly.
However, Federal District Court Judge Paul Byron ruled Feb. 5 that "the Court is unpersuaded by Oscar's argument that Florida Blue's exclusivity policy is responsible for the market share obtained in Orlando in the first year of competition."
Additionally, Florida Blue filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
"We believe that we presented compelling evidence to the court, and are pleased that Judge Byron found in Florida Blue's favor. In fact, we have already filed a motion asking the Court to dismiss the lawsuit in its entirety," the health insurer said in an emailed statement to Becker's Hospital Review.
Oscar General Counsel Bruce Gottlieb told Becker's in an emailed statement that, "We're disappointed the court denied a preliminary injunction. We look forward to further pursuing our claims on the merits."
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