Wal-Mart Can’t Beat Suit Over Deficient Health Coverage Notices

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. must defend claims that it failed to provide adequate notices of continued health-care coverage to current and former employees.

Wal-Mart’s notice was deficient because it failed to identify the plan administrator as required by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and its regulations, Judge Jose E. Martinez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida held April 18.

The notice identified CONEXIS as the party that would provide information about the plan and COBRA, and this didn’t satisfy the election notice requirement under the regulations, the court said. Without the plan administrator’s name, address, ...