Rittinger v. Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Co.

Plaintiff filed suit against Anthem, the administrator of an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) covered plan, after Anthem denied preauthorization for both bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) and the follow-up surgery. The Fifth Circuit held that Anthem did not abuse its discretion in either the first- or second-level appeal of the denial of benefits. The court explained that Anthem satisfied the very low, very deferential abuse-of-discretion standard. Therefore, the court affirmed the district court's assessment of the first-level appeal, reversed the district court's assessment of the second-level appeal, and dismissed plaintiff's cross appeal as moot. View "Rittinger v. Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Co." on Justia Law