Judge: Insurer’s Denial Of Coverage For Wilderness Programs Permissible

Mealey's (July 24, 2017, 1:51 PM EDT) -- MIAMI — An insurer’s exclusion of wilderness treatment programs is not a blanket bar, but is based on the frequent failure of those facilities to meet certain general coverage criteria, and thus does not violate federal law by treating mental health coverage differently from more general treatments, a federal judge in Florida held July 20 in dismissing ERISA claims (Steven Welp, et al. v. Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co., et al., No. 17-80237, S.D. Fla.)....