Health Affairs Web Exclusive Examines Supreme Court Decision About ERISA Conflict Of Interest

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging;  Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 04 Sep 2008 - 11:00 PST

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"'MetLife V. Glenn': The Court Addresses a Conflict Over Conflicts in ERISA Benefit Administration," Health Affairs: In the Web exclusive, Tim Jost of the Washington and Lee University School of Law discusses a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that recognized the conflict of interest that often faces Employee Retirement Income Security Act plan administrators, who often both evaluate claims made by employees and pay the claims they approve. According to Jost, the Supreme Court decision made it easier for the conflict of interest to be invoked in court by employees who file lawsuits against plan administrators to reverse denied claims. Jost writes that the decision likely will lead to more approvals of employees' health insurance claims and more litigation over denied claims (Jost, Health Affairs, 9/3).

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