State Supreme Court of New York County Judge Lyle Frank denied a preliminary injunction that would have blocked the Jan. 1 rollout of NYCE PPO, a self-funded health plan administered by EmblemHealth and UnitedHealthcare’s third-party administrator, UMR.
A Dec. 8 court filing said those pushing for the injunction — some New York City employees and retirees, along with advocacy group Hands Off NY Care — failed to demonstrate “irreparable and imminent harm.”
EmblemHealth and UMR would exclusively act in an administrative capacity for the plan. The workers and interest group had filed a lawsuit questioning the legality of a self-funded health plan.
The court found New York City’s administrative code and general municipal law ambiguous, declining to grant the city’s motion to dismiss, as well.
