"While the California federal court ... acknowledged the existence of the deemer clause, the court still found the California ban on discretionary clauses applicable based on a finding that '[S]ection 10110.6 applies to contracts.' But that finding directly conflicts with ERISA's preemption provision, which has federalized garden-variety disputes over health and disability benefits and removed claims relating to such benefits from the ambit of breach-of-contract actions even where such benefits are provided though insurance." [Thomas v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., No. 15-1112 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 15, 2016)]  MORE >>