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`EXHIBIT A
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`
`
`' Filing # 137138895 E-Filed 10/22/2021 07:18:08 PM
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`n
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`IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 11T'-' JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
`IN AND FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA
`
`JOEL SCHECHTER,
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`Plaintiff,
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`vs.
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`C'rENERAL NRISDICTION DIVISION
`
`Ernest D. Moody, CPS #229
`2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida
`Date: I i~I !Z ( Time: i U°q&,w
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`Case No.:
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`2021-020715-CA-01
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`CAREPLUS HEALTH PLANS, INC.,
`a Florida corporation,
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`Defendant.
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`TO:/CAREPLUS HEALTH PLANS, INC.
`"
`/I
`Through its Registered Agent, Corporation Service Cc
`1201 Hays Street
`/
`Tallahassee, FL 32301-2525
`
`~
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`T'`o>-t-haa~J~2Qcalendar-days--afte"r'this summons is served on you to file a written response to
`the attached Complaint in this Court. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the
`case, and your wages, money, and property may thereafter be taken without further waming from the
`Court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do
`not know an attorney, you may call an attorney referral service or a legal aid office (listed in the
`phone book).
`
`If you choose to file a written response yourself, at the same time you file your written
`response to the Court, located at:
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`73 West Flagler Street
`Miami, FL 33130
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`you must also mail or take a carbon copy or photocopy of your written response to the
`"°Plaintiff/Plaintiffs Attomey" named below:
`
`whose address is:
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`BRAD E. KELSKY, ESQ.
`KELSKY LAW, P.A.
`150 S. Pine Island Road, Suite 300
`Plantation, FL 33324
`Telephone: 954.449. l 400
`Fax: 954.449.8986
`Primary: bradkelsky@kelskylaw.com
`Secondary: barbarallinas@kelskylaw.com
`
`
`
`THE STATE OF FLORIDA
`
`TO EACH SHERIFF OF THE STATE: You are commanded to serve this S'usnmons rand a c2aEf
`the Comt2lalnt on the above-named I)efendant.
`DATED ON 10125/2021
`
`Harvey Ruvin, Esq.
`CLERIC OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
`
`B
`
`
`
`I1dIPOR'I"AN'I'
`A lawsuit has been filed against you. You have twenty (20) calendar days after this
`Summons is served on you to file a written response to the attached Complaint with the Clerk
`of this Court. A phone call will not protect you. Your written response, including the case
`number given above and the names of the parties, must be filed if you want the Court to hear
`your side of the case. If you do not file your response on time, you anay lose the case, and your
`wages, money, and property may thereafter be taken without further warning from the Court.
`There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not
`know an attorney, you may call an attorney referral service or a legal aid office (listed in the
`phone book).
`If you choose to file a written response yourself, at the same time you file your written
`response to the Court you must also mail or take a copy of your written response to the
`"Plaintiff/Plaintiffs Attorney" namedbelow.
`IMPORTANTE
`Usted ha sido demandado legalmente. Tiene veinte (20) dias, contados a partir del
`recibo de esta notificacion, para contestar la demanda adjunta, por escrito, y presentarla ante
`este tribunal. Una llamada telefonica no lo protegera. Si usted desea que el tribunal considere
`su defensa, debe presentar su respuesta por escrito, incluyendo el numero del caso y los
`nombres de las partes interesadas. Si usted no contesta la demanda a tiempo, pudiese perder
`el caso y podria ser despojado de sus ingresos y propiedades, o privado de sus derechos, siri
`previo aviso del tribunal. Existen otros requisitos legales. Si 10 desea, puede usted consultar a
`un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoee a un abogado, puede llamar a una de las oficinas
`de asistencia legal que aparecen en la guia telefonica.
`Si desea responder a la demanda por su cuenta, al mismo tiempo en que presenta su
`respuesta ante el tribunal, debera usted enviar por corr.eo o entregar una copia de su respuesta
`a la persona denominada abajo como "Plaintiff/Plaintiffs Attorney" (Demandante o Abogado
`del Demandante).
`
`
`
`L1VIP®ItTAN'I'
`Des poursuites judiciares ont ete entreprises contre vous. Vous avez vingt (20) jours
`consecutifs a partir de la date de 1'assignation de cette citation pour deposer une reponse ecrite
`a la plainte ci jointe aupres de ce tribunal. Un simple coup de telephone est insuffisant pour
`vous proteger. Vous etes obliges de deposer votre reponse ecrite, avec mention du numero
`de dossier ci-dessus et du nom des parties nommees ici, si vous souhaitez que le tribunal
`entende votre cause. Si vous ne deposez pas votre reponse ecrite dans le relai requis, vous
`risquez de perdre la cause ainsi que votre salaire, votre argent, et vos biens peuvent etre saisis
`par la suite, sans aucun preavis ulterieur du tribunal. Il y a d'autres obligations juridiques et
`vous pouvez requerir les services immediats d'un avocat. Si vous ne connaissez pas d'avocat,
`vous pourriez telephoner a un service de reference d'avocats ou a un bureau d'assistance
`juridique (figurant a 1'annuaire de telephones).
`Si vous choisissez de deposer vous-meme une reponse ecrite, il vous faudra
`egalement, en meme temps que cette formalite, faire parvenir ou expedier une copie de votre
`reponse ecrite au "Plaintiff/Plaintiffs Attorney" (Plaignant ou a son avocat) nomme ci-
`dessous.
`
`
`
`IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 11TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
`IN AND FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA
`
`GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION
`
`JOEL SCHECHTER,
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`vs.
`
`CAREPLUS HEALTH PLANS, INC.,
`a Florida corporation,
`
`Defendant.
`
`/
`
`Case No.:
`
`C®NiPLAIIoiT FOIt DAMElGES Al`ID DEMAI®iD FOR J1iJIftY TItIAL
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`Plaintiff, JOEL SCHECHTER, sues the Defendant, CAREPLUS HEALTH PLANS, INC.,
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`a Florida corporation, and states as follows:
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`1.
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`This is a cause of action exceeding the Court's minimum jurisdictional limits of
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`Thirty Thousand ($30,000.00) dollars exclusive of costs, prejudgment interest and attomey's fees.
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`2.
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`3.
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`At all times material hereto, Plaintiff was sui juris.
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`At all times material hereto, Defendant, CAREPLUS HEALTH PLANS, IINC., was
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`and is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Florida that maintained an office for
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`the regular transaction of business in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
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`4.
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`Venue is appropriate in this Court as the Defendant resides in Miami-Dade County,
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`Florida.
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`5.
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`In response to a television advertisement, Plaintiff, JOEL SCHECHTER, in
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`approximately December 2019, contacted a CarePlus Health Plans, Inc., employee and/or agent to
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`discuss the possibility of enrolling in a CarePlus Health Plan.
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`
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`6.
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`Of paramount importance to Plaintiff was the issue of whether there would be
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`coverage for illnesses/injury that occurred outside of the United States, in Canada, where PIaintiff
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`spent part of the year.
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`7.
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`The representative/agent, on a recorded telephone line, indicated that there was
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`coverage for illness/injury while Plaintiff was out of the United States. As a result, Plaintiff
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`enrolled in the CareOne Plus (HMO)(H 10 19-057) health plan ("Health Plan")
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`8.
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`In July 2020, Plaintiff suffered a stroke in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada, that
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`resulted in a significant surgical procedure and an intensive care stay for a period of time.
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`9.
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`At that point, Plaintiff discovered that the Health Plan underwritten by Defendant
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`did not afford him full coverage outside of the United States as represented in the recorded
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`telephone call with Defendant's employee/agent.
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`10.
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`As it stands, Plaintiff paid some of the medical bills he incurred out of his own
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`pocket and is indebted to his health care providers for a total amount in excess of the jurisdictional
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`threshold of this Court.
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`11.
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`All conditions precedent necessary to maintain this action have been satisfied by
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`Plaintiff.
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`COUN'P I
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`F1EtA.U1(D IN THE IIVDUCEME1®i'I'
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`12.
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`Plaintiff repeats and re-alleges the allegations of Paragraphs 1-11 as if same were
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`fully set forth herein and further alleges as follows:
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`13.
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`Defendant's employee and/or agent, on a recorded telephone line, represented that
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`if Plaintiff joined Defendant's health plan, he would be covered for illness/injury occurring outside
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`the United States.
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`14.
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`This representation was false and was known to be false at the time that it was
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`made.
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`15.
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`Plaintiff justifiably relied upon the false misrepresentation and enrolled in
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`Defendant's Health Plan.
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`16.
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`After enrolling in the Health Plan, Plaintiff suffered a stroke, required surgery and
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`was admitted to the hospital for a period of time, incurring medical bills and charges that were not
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`paid by Defendant.
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`17.
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`As a direct result of the justifiable reliance upon Defendant's knowingly false
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`misrepresentation, Plaintiff suffered damages, including having incurred medical expenses that
`have partially been paid by Plaintiff and that are due and owing to his health care providers.
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`18.
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`Plaintiff has retained the undersigned attorneys and is obligated to pay said
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`attorneys a reasonable attorney's fee.
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`WHERBFOR.E, Plaintiff demands judgment against Defendant for damages, prejudgment .
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`interest, attorney's fees, taxable costs and for any other relief the Court deems just, equitable and
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`proper.
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`IDEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL
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`Plaintiff demands a trial by jury on all issues so triable as a matter of right.
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`Dated this 8th day of September 2021.
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`KELSKY LAW, P.A.
`150 S. Pine Island Road
`Suite 300
`Plantation, FL 33324
`954.449.1400
`Fax: 954.449.8986
`Primary: bradkelsk.~r~kelsjrylaw.com
`Secondary: barbarallinas<<r7kelskylaw.com
`
`BY:
`
`/s/ Brad E. ICelsky
`BRAD E. KELSKY
`FBN: 0059307
`
`