BC Life and Health Ins. Co. Success Stories
Bulimia
Case
Thompkins v. BC Life and Health Ins. Co.
Synopsis
Beneficiary sued health insurer under Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), seeking administrative review of denial of benefits for two-month inpatient treatment for dissociative disorder and bulimia.
Outcome
The District Court held that: review would be de novo; California mental health care parity law, requiring health insurance policies to cover treatment for mental illness on same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions, applied to beneficiary; and beneficiary was entitled to benefits.