Class-Action Trial Starts, Alleges United Healthcare Used Invalid Behavioral Health Level-Of-Care Guidelines

On October 16, 2017, a trial started in a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of consumers protesting barriers to mental health and addiction treatment in United Healthcare’s commercial plan policies, as implemented by its business unit United Behavioral Health (UBH). The class includes about 50,000 families covered by health benefit plans administered by UBH which are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as well as a smaller group of families covered by the state laws of Connecticut, Illinois, Rhode Island, or Texas. Each of the families had requested coverage for behavioral health . . .