ERISA health care plans typically include reimbursement and subrogation clauses, which give plans a right to reimbursement of medical expenses paid on behalf of a beneficiary where the injury is caused by a third party. While such provisions are common in ERISA health care plans, they sometimes conflict with state laws that prohibit plans and … Continue Reading
Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a decision by the Eleventh Circuit and held that when a ERISA plan participant obtains a third-party settlement subject to a plan’s subrogation provision, and then dissipates the settlement on “nontraceable” items, the plan cannot enforce a lien against the participant’s general assets under Section 502(a)(3) of ERISA. … Continue Reading
The Sixth Circuit rejected a participant’s argument that the plan’s subrogation provision was not enforceable because it was only in the plan’s summary plan description, and not in the trust agreement that the participant argued was the operative plan document. The Court determined that the subrogation provision was contained within a document that served as … Continue Reading
On March 30, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would review Bd. of Trustees of Nat. Elevator Indus. Health Ben. Plan v. Montanile, 593 F. App’x 903 (11th Cir. 2014). As discussed here, at issue in the case is whether an ERISA fiduciary of a health benefit plan, who alleges that a beneficiary was overpaid … Continue Reading
Where an ERISA plan specifically sets forth in the plan document its rights to reimbursement/subrogation vis-à-vis a plan participant then there is no requirement that recovery be conditioned on the plan being able to trace the recovered monies to the original benefit payment. Under such circumstances, the plan is considered to have an equitable lien … Continue Reading
The Eleventh Circuit recently concluded that Robert Montanile, a welfare plan participant, could not avoid reimbursing the National Elevator Industry Health Benefit Plan for benefits it paid on his behalf after he recovered from a third party tortfeasor. In so ruling, the Court rejected Montanile’s arguments that the plan’s reimbursement provision was not enforceable because … Continue Reading
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