How health insurers get a free pass to deny coverage from a 52-year-old law meant to protect worker pensions

A little-known law called ERISA bars millions of patients from suing for damages when health insurers wrongly deny claims.

By: Miranda Yaver, University of Pittsburgh, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 2, 2026

Words: 1,382

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 6 days ago

Body Text Preview

By Miranda Yaver, University of Pittsburgh

Florence Corcoran, an employee of South Central Bell Telephone Company, was eight months into a high-risk pregnancy when her obstetrician recommended she spend the final month on bed rest in the hospital, for close monitoring. Despite the recommendation, her health insurer determined that it would only cover partial-day at-home nursing care.

While a nurse was off duty, her fetus went into distress and died.

Corcoran sued her insurer, …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us