Anthem has settled a class action lawsuit brought by participants in employee health plans it administers, following negotiations and private mediation. The plan participants claim that Anthem violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) by improperly denying coverage for inpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment based Read More
Episode 4: Aligning Sales Strategy with Compliance and Risk Management
; Listen to the Podcast Episode on Episode Summary: This episode highlights how in-house legal and HR leaders can collaborate to navigate compliance, mitigate risk, and support business growth. David Hall speaks with Andrew Suesserman about building tech-enabled insurance solutions, managing compliance in a startup environment, and the importance of partnering with trusted advisors. The conversation Read More
Federal Court Refuses to Dismiss Challenge to Plan Administrator’s Use of Automated Algorithm for Benefit Decisions
A California federal district court has declined a plan administrator’s motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit for wrongful denial of benefits and breach of fiduciary duty. The plaintiffs, a group of participants in various employer-sponsored health plans, blame the administrator’s use of an automated algorithm to make decisions on participants’ benefits claims as the basis for their lawsuit. The plan participants Read More
Giant Eagle Settles ERISA Class Action Suit Alleging Failure to Control 401(k) Plan Costs
Giant Eagle, a grocery store chain, has settled a class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) led by a former employee. The suit alleged that the company breached its fiduciary duty by failing to contain administrative and recordkeeping costs for the company’s 401(k) plan and act in the plan participants’ best interests, costing them millions. The terms of the Read More
Court Dismisses Employee’s FMLA Claim for Failure to Pay Health Plan Premiums
In Kliskey v. Making Opportunity Count, Inc., 2025 WL 959257 (D. Mass. 2025), Carol Kliskey claimed that Making Opportunity Count, Inc. (MOC), her former employer and a private non-profit organization, violated the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. The alleged FMLA violations included terminating her health insurance in retaliation for taking leave under the Read More
Trump Issues Executive Order Cancelling Most Federal Collective Bargaining Agreements
President Trump recently issued an executive order (EO) that effectively cancels federal collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) across 18 federal agencies. The EO is based on the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA), which permits a president to terminate CBAs at agencies in the interests of national security. To qualify for this exemption from CBAs under the CSRA, the workers at that agency must have the Read More
HHS Settlement Follows Business Associate Breach Exposing 4,304 Individuals’ ePHI on the Internet
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a settlement with a business associate that provides wellness plans to various clients nationwide. OCR had been investigating the business associate for violating HIPAA’s security rule after filing four breach reports within three months stating that electronic protected health information (ePHI) was Read More
UnitedHealth Group Follows Trend, Removes DEI from Website
According to a recent report, UnitedHealth Group has removed much of its website content related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). UnitedHealth’s spokesperson, Tyler Mason, stated that the company complies with existing laws while still trying to support the communities they serve with “a collaborative environment where we treat each other with mutual respect.” Clicking on UnitedHealthcare webpages that Read More
Federal Court Finds ERISA Preempts TN PBM Law
A federal district court judge found that portions of a Tennessee law regulating pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) conflict with the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Therefore, the court ruled that Tennessee is permanently barred from enforcing those portions of the law against McKee Foods Corporation or other benefits plans governed by ERISA. The case is McKee Foods Corporation v. BFP Inc., Case Read More
Episode 3: Success Stories in Counsel and Leadership Collaboration
Listen to the Podcast Episode on Episode Summary: This episode explores how in-house legal and HR teams can form high-functioning partnerships to deliver better outcomes for organizations. Rich Sedory discusses building a legal department from scratch, managing compliance in a regulated manufacturing environment, and negotiating contracts that drive value. Special emphasis is placed on the Read More
