Labor Department Backs ERISA Suits for Mental Health Denials

Health plan participants can bring ERISA benefit claims to challenge coverage denials that violate federal mental health parity law, the Labor Department says in a brief filed with the First Circuit.

The department wants the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to revive a lawsuit claiming Raytheon Co.'s health plan fails to cover speech therapy treatments for autistic children in violation of the parity law.

A district judge blocked a family from challenging this practice through a claim for benefits under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, reasoning that parity law violations can’t be challenged through this ...