Don’t give up hope just yet on the parity fight in the courts following the latest development in Wit v. United Behavioral Health. But don’t forget this: No shortage of the collective troubles of the American political and business worlds come from expecting the courts to see things a certain way. If behavioral health care wants […]
United Behavioral Health
The district court judge over Wit v. United Behavioral Health has been ordered by the appeals court to come into compliance with its previous orders. The order, in addition to calling on the judge over the case to comply with previous rulings, puts to bed questions about reprocessing allegedly wrongfully denied claims. Once seen as […]
A federal appeals court revived a lawsuit alleging UnitedHealthcare violated federal behavioral health parity and insurance fiduciary laws. On April 11, the appeals court remanded parity and fiduciary claims to a California district court. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the lower court erred in dismissing those claims but affirmed a separate question […]
In case you missed it, Behavioral Health Business has launched a new specialty publication for professionals in the substance use disorder space. You can subscribe to Addiction Treatment Business here: Subscribe today! The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request by United Behavioral Health to hear a behavioral health claim denial case. The case, titled D.K. […]
The fight for behavioral health parity has momentum heading into 2024 following three major decisions at the appellate level. And the battle may extend to the U.S. Supreme Court following an appeal by United Behavioral Health. Three cases in this slice of the appeals court address how health plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income […]
A federal court decision has revitalized the mental health parity case of Wit v. United Behavioral Health. On Aug. 22, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated its previous ruling, issued in January 2023, and remanded questions about potential breaches of United Behavioral Health’s fiduciary duty and the plaintiff’s responsibility to exhaust administrative appeals […]
A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of the parents of a teen girl frequently denied coverage for intensive mental health care by United Behavioral Health. On May 15, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal ruled that United Behavioral Health violated its fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and […]
The latest ruling in the Wit v. United Behavioral Health case disappointed many behavioral health parity advocates. On Jan. 26, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals released a ruling that essentially undid a favorable and sweeping 2019 district court decision on how payers may handle behavioral health claims. It also ordered United Behavioral Health […]
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the plaintiffs’ appeal in Wit v. United Behavioral Health. A three-judge panel released the ruling on Jan. 26. While the appeals court remanded the case to the district court, the move is seen as a blow to parity in behavioral health. “This decision is heartbreaking,” Marvin Ventrell, […]
The behavioral health industry awaits a vital federal appeals court decision in a long legal battle between payers and operators. No matter the decision, the ruling in Wit v. United Behavioral Health will have far-reaching consequences for behavioral health advocates pushing insurers on reimbursement parity. The class-action lawsuit — originally filed in May 2014 by […]