STATE EX REL. HEALTH PLANS v. NINES

No. 20-0296, No. 20-0297.

852 S.E.2d 251 (2020)

STATE of West Virginia EX REL. THIRD-PARTY DEFENDANT HEALTH PLANS, et al., Petitioners v. The Honorable Shawn D. NINES, Presiding Judge Business Court Division, and MedTest Laboratories, LLC, Respondents and State of West Virginia ex rel. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Inc., and HealthNow New York, Inc. d/b/a BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, and BlueShield of Northeastern New York, Petitioners v. The Honorable Shawn D. Nines, Presiding Judge Business Court Division, and MedTest Laboratories, LLC, Respondents.

Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

Filed: November 19, 2020.

Dissenting Opinion of Justice Hutchison November 25, 2020.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Andrew B. Cooke, Esq. , Thomas Combs & Spann, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, James C. Martin, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, William J. Sheridan, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Gregory D. Vose, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Reed Smith LLP, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Martin J. Bishop, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Bryan M. Webster, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Daniel J. Hofmeister Jr., Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Reed Smith LLP, Chicago, Illinois, Counsel for Petitioners, Health Care Service Corporation, A Mutual Legal Reserve Company (operating as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma; and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico); Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama; Premera Blue Cross; Highmark Inc.; Highmark BCBSD Inc. d/b/a Highmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Delaware; Blue Cross of Idaho Health Service, Inc.; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Inc.; Noridian Mutual Insurance Company d/b/a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Inc.; Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Wyoming.

Benjamin L. Bailey, Esq. , Samuel A. Hrko, Esq. , Bailey & Glasser LLP, Charleston, West Virginia, Patrick J. Sheehan, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Henry C. Quillen, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Whatley Kallas, LLP, New York, New York, Counsel for Respondent, MedTest Laboratories, LLC.

Melissa Foster Bird, Esq. , Marc E. Williams, Esq. , Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Huntington, West Virginia, N. Thomas Connally, III, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Hogan Lovells U.S. LLP, Tysons, Virginia, Counsel for Anthem, Inc.; Blue Cross of California d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross; Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service, Inc. d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield; Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield; Anthem Health Plans, Inc. d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Inc.; Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana; Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky, Inc. d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kentucky; Anthem Health Plans of Maine, Inc. d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine; HMO Missouri, Inc. d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri; Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nevada; Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire, Inc. d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Hampshire; Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc. d/b/a Empire BlueCross BlueShield; Community Insurance Company d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio; Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia, Inc.; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Wisconsin.

Eric W. Iskra, Esq. , Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan; and Capital Blue Cross.

Michael J. Joyce, Esq. , Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Counsel for Capital Blue Cross.

Thomas J. Hurney, Jr., Esq. , Laurie M. Miller, Esq. , Chelsea Creta, Esq. , Jackson Kelly PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Covert J. Geary, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Jones Walker LLP, New Orleans, Louisiana, Counsel for USAble Mutual Insurance Company d/b/a Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc.; Louisiana Health Service and Indemnity Company, PAC d/b/a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc.; Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, A Mutual Insurance Company; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island; Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina; California Physicians' Service, Inc. d/b/a Blue Shield of California; Excellus Health Plan, Inc. d/b/a Excellus BlueCross BlueShield; Cambia Health Solutions, Inc.; Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Inc.; Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon; Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah; Regence BlueShield.

Andrew B. Cooke, Esq. , Thomas Combs & Spann, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Coppersmith Brockelman PLC, Phoenix, Arizona, Counsel for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, Inc.

Paula L. Durst, Esq. , Don C.A. Parker, Esq. , Spilman Thomas & Battle PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Honor R. Costello, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Crowell & Moring LLP, New York, New York, Rochelle-Leigh Rosenberg, Esq. , Pro Hac Vice, Crowell & Moring LLP, Washington, D.C., Counsel for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Inc. and HealthNow New York Inc. d/b/a BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and BlueShield of Northeastern New York.


In this original jurisdiction proceeding, Petitioners, out-of-state Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans ("Blues"),1 ask this Court to prevent the enforcement of the circuit court's March 27, 2020, order, and to grant the requested writ of prohibition dismissing...

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