Elderly home care provider sues state agencies, Horizon BCBS

Bergre Acquisitions, which operated Ocean City-based health care services provider HomeCare Specialists, is suing three state agencies, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Horizon Healthcare of New Jersey and the Cape May County Board of Social Services for allegedly driving it out of business.Bergre Acquisitions, which operated Ocean City-based health care services provider HomeCare Specialists, is suing three state agencies, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Horizon Healthcare of New Jersey and the Cape May County Board of Social Services for allegedly driving it out of business.

The state agencies named in the legal action include the Division of Consumer Affairs, the Division of Aging Services and the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services. The seven-count suit was filed May 16 in state Superior Court in Mercer Vicinage.

HomeCare alleges its reputation was irreparably damaged in 2016 when the state Deputy Attorney General’s office directed the Division of Aging Services to publish communications with Horizon and other agencies. The communications were so inflammatory that they led to HomeCare going out of business, the suit states.

That same year, the Division of Consumer Affairs accused HomeCare of sending uncertified employees into the homes of patients.

“Together, the actions of these parties destroyed our business,” said HomeCare’s Managing Member Ed Sheppard. “As the complaint details, these actions were outrageous, unwarranted, and intentionally designed to inflict the maximum amount of damage to our employees and the company.”

John Leardi, an attorney at Princeton-based Buttaci Leardi & Werner, is representing the plaintiffs.

Representatives of Horizon DCA, DAS and the attorney general’s office declined comment.