Two Blue Cross Blue Shield entities convinced a federal appeals court not to revive a lawsuit by a surgery center seeking to recover more than $50,000 in unpaid medical expenses for services rendered to an insured.
American Orthopedic & Sports Medicine couldn’t sue on behalf of the insured because his plan had an anti-assignment clause—a provision that seeks to bar insureds from assigning their claims to any third party, including the health-care provider that rendered the service. Anti-assignment clauses in health insurance plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act are enforceable, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the ...