Articles Posted in U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

WestRock filed suit under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. 1001 et seq., challenging an action taken by the Pace Industry Union-Management Pension Fund's Board of Trustees. The district court agreed with the Fund that ERISA provided no cause of action and granted the Fund’s motion to dismiss the complaint. The Eleventh Circuit affirmed, holding that WestRock has not properly alleged that the Amendment (the Fund's rehabilitation plan) violates 29 U.S.C. 1085 in a manner sufficient to bring a cause of action under Subsection B of 29 U.S.C. 1132(a)(10). Furthermore, the text of 29 U.S.C. 1451(a) does not support WestRock's reading that the Amendment imposes an additional liability on WestRock if it withdraws and therefore section 1451(a) provides it with a cause of action to challenge the Amendment. View "WestRock RKT v. Pace Industry Union" on Justia Law

Plaintiff filed suit under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. 1001 et seq., seeking benefits for continued partial hospital treatment for her anorexia, which were denied on the ground that the level of care she sought was not medically necessary. On appeal, plaintiff challenged the district court's grant of summary judgment for Oxford. After careful consideration of the parties’ briefs, the record in the case, and with the benefit of oral argument presented to the court, the court concluded that the district court correctly decided that the record of the external review is properly before the district court in this ERISA case. However, the court concluded that the district court erred in holding that the adverse external review decision barred plaintiff from presenting her challenge to the adverse medical necessity determination. Because the external review process does not conflict with ERISA, it is not preempted. Accordingly, the court affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded for further proceedings. View "Alexandra H. v. Oxford Health Ins." on Justia Law