Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey must turn over a consultant's report that guided the company in creating OMNIA, the influential insurance plans that excluded half of the hospitals in the state from sharing in the most lucrative benefits, a state judge ruled this week.

State Superior Court Judge Robert P. Contillo, sitting in Bergen County, rejected Horizon's request to keep the consultant report by McKinsey & Company and other related documents under seal. The report is key evidence in a lawsuit filed by three hospitals. A trial is set to begin soon.

NJ Advance Media, which provides content to NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated newspapers, sued to obtain a copy of the McKinsey report, arguing OMNIA was created to shake-up New Jersey's health care marketplace and the public had a right to know how the plans were created.

Contillo agreed. Horizon must turn the records over next week, according to his Tuesday opinion.

"Nothing I deal with...has a more immediate, acute public impact than these matters. This is no mere private dispute -- it is infused with broad public impact and it is of legitimate public interest," Contillo wrote.

"Horizon hopes to transform the way health care is delivered and paid for here in New Jersey, with a focus on quality and cost containment," Contillo's decision said. "The public interest is not confined to what Horizon says about how it structured OMNIA and created Tier 1 and 2, or awarded participation, but also how it hopes to achieve these goals, by incentivizing value-based, result-based health care at the alleged expense of those network partners designated as Tier 2."

Horizon insures 3.8 million of New Jersey's 9 million residents, and Horizon intended to change the insurance landscape by offering a new line of plans that promised discounts to people willing to use a set of hospitals and physicians.

There are 238,000 OMNIA policy holders, according to information Horizon released last year. When the plans were unveiled in 2015, consumers paid about 15 percent less in premium costs than for Horizon's other product lines. Premiums rose significantly this year, which Horizon attributed to the uncertain future of the Affordable Care Act under the Trump administration.

OMNIA policy holders also potentially save thousands of dollars more in copays and deductibles by using 39 "tier 1" hospitals and medical professionals, which have agreed to accept lower reimbursements in exchange for higher patient volume. Consumers can use "tier 2" hospitals and doctors but they will pay more to do so.

Horizon spokesman Kevin McArdle expressed disappointment in the decision.

"Horizon is disappointed with the Court's ruling as it permits public dissemination of information that the New Jersey Supreme Court has previously recognized as protected and that is critical to defending the interests of the policyholders we exist to serve," McArdle said.

"The company has always been clear and transparent about why it created OMNIA - to make high quality medical insurance more affordable to New Jersey families. Horizon respectfully disagrees with the Court's ruling and plans to appeal this decision."

Kevin Whitmer, vice president of Content at NJ Advance Media, hailed Judge Contillo's opinion.

"Horizon went to the wall to keep the public in the dark and also launched an ugly and mean-spirited attack on the principles of a free press," Whitmer said. "Judge Contillo saw Horizon's actions for what they were, and we now look forward to sharing with the public how and why these decisions were made."

NJ Advance Media is represented by the law firm of Robinson Miller LLC of Newark.

The case stems from a lawsuit brought by a handful of hospitals angry they had been relegated to tier 2 status, arguing they are losing money and ultimately may have to downsize, merge or close. The hospitals are suing for the right to be included among the tier 1 hospitals.

Michael Furey, the attorney for Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, Valley Hospital in Ridgewood and CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, hailed the judge's decision.

"With Judge Contillo's decision, the public should finally have an opportunity to learn the truth behind OMNIA," Furey said. "He saw through Horizon's baseless claims of confidentiality and recognized the public's interest in acquiring an understanding of how OMNIA was formed, the selection of the Tier 1 hospitals, and the efforts of Horizon to direct its insureds to the Tier 1 hospitals and away from the Tier 2 hospitals.

"If Horizon truly believes that healthcare is an important issue to the public, then it should stop its efforts to hide the documents that explain what happened and comply with the Court's order directing their release," Furey said.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.