MetLife Beats Benefits Appeal Over In-Home Dialysis Accident

Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. validly refused to pay $170,000 in accidental death benefits to a man whose wife died after a mishap during in-home dialysis treatment, the Eighth Circuit held Friday.

Evidence suggests the patient died from “extreme blood loss” caused by her failure to close her port after either accidentally dislodging it or attempting to conclude her treatment, the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said. It was therefore reasonable for MetLife to conclude that dialysis “was at least one reason for her death,” the appeals court said, upholding the insurer’s decision to deny benefits under ...