Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body. Eventually, the disease can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the […]
As many healthcare providers have experienced, anti-assignment provisions in ERISA health plans can be a full stop to recovering unpaid claims. In good news, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently decided Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital v. Community Insurance Company dba Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, et al., No. 19-55053, __F.App’x__, 2020 WL […]
The Supreme Court handed down a victory on February 26, 2020, to employees whose pension, healthcare, or other benefit plans were mismanaged. Under ERISA, the federal law that governs such plans, those who manage or administer such plans are considered fiduciaries bound by strict standards that require them to act with great care and in […]
According to the National Eating Disorders Collaboration, eating disorders can develop among people with a combination of psychological, social and genetic factors. Some of the risk factors for eating disorders are:Low self-esteem, or perfectionism.Overvaluing body image in defining self-worth.Stress, depression and trauma.Avoidance of social interaction.Involvement in a sport that emphasizes body shape.Troubled family or personal […]
National Suicide Prevention Week (“NSPW”) is September 8th-14th this year. Each year, the nation’s largest suicide prevention organization, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (“AFSP”), hosts NSPW. One focus of NSPW this year is: Creating A Safety Net.This blog is a little bit about how I created a Safety Net for myself, and why you […]
Suicide is a Leading Cause of Death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2017:Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 47,000 people.Suicide was the second leading cause of death […]
The correct response is, “maybe, or maybe not, depending on the facts, and the state in which you reside.”Insurance policies very often have time limits on the submission of a claim for benefits. In some states, those deadlines are VERY strictly construed, and once the deadline has passed, it does become “too late” to make […]
On August 16, 2019, a nationwide class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against the medical device manufacturer Allergan to protect women with Allergan’s textured breast implants from the increased risk of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), which has now been associated with Allergan’s […]
