Little-known hospital billing practice can nix Medicare coverage of later nursing-home stay

Under rules implementing the Affordable Care Act, hospitals can be penalized if too many patients return for further treatment within 30 days of being discharged. So, to avoid the penalty, a number of hospitals are admitting return patients under “observation status” to keep them out of the readmission statistics. Although…

Dec 3, 2015 12:30 PM CST

Appeals court restores $4.9K monthly pension of imprisoned former Penn State football coach

A Pennsylvania appeals court has restored the $4,900-per-month pension of a former Pennsylvania State University assistant football coach who is now serving a hefty prison term for sexually abusing minors. Because Jerry Sandusky had officially retired long before the crimes for which he has been convicted took place, the board…

Nov 13, 2015 2:50 PM CST

Cases under review after ‘hero’ police officer was found to have staged his own suicide

Initially hailed as a fallen hero who was gunned down on duty in suburban Chicago, an Illinois police officer has since been found to have shot himself to death in a suicide staged to look like a homicide. The determination that Fox Lake Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz committed suicide on…

Nov 12, 2015 1:00 PM CST

Insurance coverage denials not unusual when illegal behavior is alleged, but not proven

Monroe Bird III had health insurance when he was shot by an apartment complex security guard, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But his coverage was denied based on his alleged activities that led to the shooting. No charges were filed for the alleged activities, which centered on backing his car toward the…

Jul 20, 2015 3:55 PM CDT

Federal Circuit: US must pay attorney’s fee to lawyer who took veteran’s case 20 years ago

Nearly 20 years after he agreed to represent a U.S. military veteran in a disability case, a Maine lawyer has gotten a definitive answer about his 20-percent contingent attorney fee. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Tuesday ruled that the feds owe attorney Francis Jackson…

Jun 3, 2015 4:25 PM CDT

9th Circuit: In ERISA case where appeal period ended on a Saturday, filing deadline becomes Monday

Saying that a rule often applied to court filing deadlines also makes sense in administrative ERISA matters, a federal appeals court Thursday revived a former FedEx worker’s disability benefits case. Because a 180-day period for Andre LeGras to appeal the termination of his benefits ended on a Saturday, the mailbox…

May 28, 2015 4:30 PM CDT

Illinois state pension law declared unconstitutional

A landmark state pension law was declared unconstitutional Friday by the Illinois Supreme Court. Justice Lloyd Karmeier, writing for a unanimous court, said the law violated a provision of the Illinois Constitution known as the pension protection clause, which says public employee pensions cannot be diminished or impaired, the Chicago…

May 8, 2015 2:35 PM CDT

Midwest law firm wins record $62M settlement from Lockheed in suit over 401(k) fees

Lockheed Martin Corp. has agreed to pay $62 million to settle a federal lawsuit by a St. Louis law firm contending that it charged excessive fees and in its 401(k) plans. The amount is a record high settlement for a case of this kind, reports the Wall Street Journal (sub.…

Feb 23, 2015 5:45 PM CST

McDonald’s sued by former employees over ‘racist’ franchise in Virginia

Ten former employees of a McDonald’s franchisee in Virginia are suing the company over allegations of racism, sexual harassment and wrongful termination at three of its Virginia restaurants. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in Virginia, will test the extent of the company’s legal responsibility for the actions of…

Jan 22, 2015 2:30 PM CST

Widow of longtime FedEx worker sues over denial of spouse’s pension benefits

The same-sex widow of a longtime FedEx worker is suing the company, saying it refused to pay her spousal survivor’s benefits. The suit (PDF), filed Wednesday in federal court in Oakland, Calif., alleges that FedEx refused to provide the benefits because its pension plan incorporates the federal Defense of Marriage…

Jan 16, 2015 3:41 PM CST

Court to weigh whether employers must accommodate pregnant workers with the same limits as others

Dec 1, 2014 2:20 AM CST

2nd Circuit says judge abused discretion by denying attorney fees in ERISA case

A federal appeals court says a district court abused its discretion by denying attorney fees in an Employment Retirement Income Security Act case in which an insurance company was found to have been arbitrary and capricious in refusing benefits to the plaintiff, John Donachie. Liberty Life Insurance “ignored substantial evidence…

Mar 12, 2014 8:55 PM CDT

Suit over 401(k) losses in employer’s own stock gets SCOTUS review

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide what type of proof is needed when employees sue over 401(k) losses in their employer’s own stock. The court accepted a class action against Fifth Third Bancorp, which had a 74 percent decline in its stock during a two-year period. At issue…

Dec 16, 2013 1:01 PM CST

Contraceptive mandate blocked by 7th Circuit

A federal appeals court based in Chicago has blocked the so-called contraceptive mandate that requires companies to provide contraceptive coverage in group health-care plans for employees. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday on behalf of two closely held companies and their Catholic owners, who claimed the mandate…

Nov 11, 2013 4:26 PM CST

After former friend’s tip-off, onetime BigLaw partner loses disability benefits

Terri Truitt said she had so much pain from a back, leg and foot injury that she was unable to continue practicing law. Truitt, a partner in the Houston office of Mayer Brown who focused her practice on oil and gas litigation, said she could no longer handle the international…

Sep 16, 2013 6:25 PM CDT