Federal Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals Reverses ERISA Ruling On Mental Health Parity

On March 22, 2022, a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously reversed a 2019 trial court ruling in a high-profile class action mental health ERISA lawsuit, Wit v. United Behavioral Health. The panel overturned the trial court’s determination that United Behavioral Health (UBH), a division of UnitedHealth Group wrongly made medical necessary determinations for mental health and addiction disorder in a manner inconsistent with generally accepted standards for behavioral health care. The panel found that UBH did not violate ERISA or its fiduciary duties because its interpretation that the ERISA plans at issue . . .