"According to the appellate court's ruling, Third Party 're-pricing negotiation' agreements and discounts will be preempted by ERISA if: '[t]he contracts by their terms are subject to the underlying ERISA plans.' Even after re-pricing discounts have been negotiated, [out-of-network] providers, with valid and complete assignments, have the right to seek all eligible payments according to the plan terms. The profound impact of this appellate court ruling may fundamentally change the nation's healthcare landscape and existing managed-care model." [North Cypress Medical Center v. Cigna, No. 12-20695 (5th Cir. Mar. 10, 2015)]  MORE >>