Mealey's (January 2, 2018, 5:37 PM EST) -- SAN FRANCISCO — The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Dec. 18 affirmed a district court’s ruling that a medical provider does not have the authority to seek medical benefits on behalf of the medical plan’s beneficiaries and participants because the plan at issue includes an anti-assignment provision barring the assignment of plan benefits (Brand Tarzana Surgical Institute Inc. v. International Longshore and Warehouse Union-Pacific Maritime Association Welfare Plan, No. 16-55503, 9th Cir., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 25531)....