Case guidelines not meant as rigid formula that dictates outcome

Workplace Issues

By Mark D. DeBofsky

Mark D. DeBofsky is a name partner of DeBofsky, Sherman & Casciari P.C. He handles civil and appellate litigation involving employee benefits, disability insurance and other insurance claims and coverage, and Social Security law. He can be reached at mdebofsky@debofsky.com.

Posted March 30, 2017 12:50 PM

A recent ruling from the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an insurance company’s denial of health-care benefits for psychiatric treatment. Although the underlying facts are compelling, the most interesting aspect of the ruling was the court’s discussion of civil procedure and judicial standards of review under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.The ruling in Stephanie C. v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts HMO Blue Inc., 2017 WL 1101608 (1st Cir. March 24, 2017), was the case’s …

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