U.S. Supreme Court Declines Review of Ruling in Fifth Circuit ERISA Preemption Case

The U.S. Supreme Court recently denied a petition for writ of certiorari by United Healthcare Insurance Company (?Ç£UHC?Ç¥), which had requested judicial review of a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, whose jurisdiction includes the State of Texas. The Fifth Circuit?ÇÖs opinion had held that ERISA did not preempt state claims brought by Access Mediquip (?Ç£Access?Ç¥), a medical device provider, against UHC for negligent misrepresentation, promissory estoppel, and violations of the Texas Insurance Code (see Access Mediquip L.L.C. v. UnitedHealthcare Insurance Co., No. 10-20868 (5th Cir. Oct. 5, 2012), a decision that overturned existing law in the Fifth Circuit. Access had sued UHC in 2009, claiming that UHC refused to provide reimbursement for medical devices that Access had procured and provided to covered persons based on a coverage authorization for such devices that Access previously received from UHC. The Supreme Court?ÇÖs denial of UHC?ÇÖs petition in this case leaves unresolved the existing split among the U.S. circuit courts of appeal regarding the interpretation and application of ERISA preemption to certain state law claims. See also our previous?áblog post?áon the Fifth Circuit decision, available here.