News Archive

"[The plaintiff] contended that [the employer] was a proper defendant because the SPD gave it the authority to make benefit determinations. The court disagreed ... The court emphasized that the plan required that all proof of claim be routed through Prudential ... The court noted that in so ruling it was 'align[ing] ourselves with five other circuits.' " [Justman v. Accenture LLP, No. 25-2084 (3d Cir. June 17, 2026)]  MORE >>

"The court explained that a suit for benefits due must be brought against a party with an obligation to pay, which is the entity that controls benefit determinations. Here, the plan and the summary plan descriptions consistently identified Prudential as the Claims Administrator with discretionary authority to process and decide claims, while Accenture, as Plan Administrator, retained authority only over limited matters such as eligibility." [Justman v. Accenture LLP, No. 25-2084 (3d Cir. June 17, 2026)]  MORE >>

Video with transcript. "TOAMS 6 is WTW's sixth edition of [this] mortality and policyholder behavior study, covering calendar years 2018-2022 with data from 1.1 million deaths and [is] the first edition to encompass the COVID-19 era. Using predictive analytics, [the study] uncovered key insights on COVID's impact, socioeconomic factors, risk class differentials and more that will help to shape smarter decisions across pricing and product development."  MORE >>

"holding that a decedent's repeated statements of intent to remove that beneficiary did not effect a change where he never took action to carry the intent out. The decision is a clear application of the substantial-compliance doctrine to a contested beneficiary designation under an ERISA plan, and it underscores how much weight the written designation carries when the record shows intent but no completed change." [Unum Life Ins. Co. of Am. v. Crane, No. 24-00230 (E.D. Ky. June 12, 2026)]  MORE >>

"Voluntary benefits have officially outgrown their 'extras' label. What was once a supplemental perk has become a central lever in shaping the employee experience and, increasingly, a differentiator in the war for talent. The future of voluntary benefits is about delivering intentional, seamless and employee-centric experiences. Because at the end of the day, value isn't defined by how much you offer but by how it benefits employees and their families."  MORE >>

"[The court] granted judgment on the administrative record to [MetLife] in an ERISA dispute over group life insurance benefits, holding that an insured substantially complied with the plan's beneficiary-change requirements when she designated a new beneficiary by telephone, and that the disappointed claimant could not establish entitlement to the benefits in any event." [Adams v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., No. 24-0668 (M.D. La. June 9, 2026)]  MORE >>

"Reading the eligibility waiting period to require continuous active employment for its entire duration was not unreasonable, the court [said], because the waiting period appeared to encompass more days than just the 30 days of continuous active employment needed to reach the Eligible Date. The court was candid that the policy did not expressly require this reading and that the interpretation 'may be low on the reasonableness scale.' But under abuse-of-discretion review, a low-end-but-rational interpretation is enough, and the court declined to find an abuse of discretion on that basis." [Richards v. Lifepoint Health Welfare Benefits Plan, No. 25-3541 (N.D. Tex. May 27, 2026)]  MORE >>

"The decision turns on two issues of interest to ERISA practitioners: whether the policy qualified as an ERISA-governed employee welfare benefit plan, and, after concluding that it did not, how Texas state law resolves a beneficiary dispute where the decedent signed a binding informal settlement agreement in pending divorce proceedings but died before the divorce decree was entered." [Principal Life Ins. Co. v. Jones, No. 25-0221 (S.D. Tex. May 27, 2026)]  MORE >>

"The court found that the domestic partner's unsworn letter ... was an 'incredibly slim reed' on which to disregard the decedent's 2022 beneficiary designation, suggesting MetLife filed the interpleader primarily to protect itself rather than out of genuine uncertainty about a viable competing claim. The court also found that interpleader litigation of this type is a routine aspect of MetLife's business, as evidenced by a nearly identical action filed the day after this one, a discounted panel counsel arrangement with its law firm reflecting the frequency of such litigation, and the formulaic nature of the filings across both cases." [Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Cooper, No. 25-1161 (M.D.N.C. May 14, 2026)]  MORE >>

"This checklist helps employers understand their obligations and opportunities when an employee notifies them of their new marriage. Questions often arise on possible election changes, beneficiary rights and organizational policies. This checklist captures common compliance issues and offers helpful suggestions to avoid complications down the road."  MORE >>

"[The court] dismissed a former Google sales representative's ERISA Section 510 interference claim and several related state-law claims, holding that the complaint failed to plausibly allege that Google terminated the employee with the specific intent to interfere with ERISA-protected benefits." [Martin v. Google LLC, No. 25-0587 (D. Conn. Mar. 9, 2026)]  MORE >>

"The 7th Circuit's recent decision highlights the severe consequences that can arise from procedural mistakes related to beneficiary designations.... [S]teps you can take to help ensure that the intentions of participants are ultimately honored and reduce the risk of costly disputes: [1] Tighten and publicize beneficiary-change procedures.... [2] Train benefits staff on handling of 'off-channel' requests.... [3] Expect beneficiary change requests following major life events." [Packaging Corp. of Am. Thrift Plan for Hourly Emps. v. Langdon, No. 25-1859 (7th Cir. Feb. 2, 2026)]  MORE >>

"LIMRA forecasts slower in‑force premium growth for life and disability products through 2028. Life insurance in‑force premium growth is expected to fall below historical averages, while long‑term and short‑term disability premiums should remain closer to recent norms.... Employers still need competitive benefits packages to attract and retain top talent. Workers increasingly value flexibility, well‑being, and financial security. Advances in technology -- from data analytics to AI -- are enabling more personalized benefit recommendations and communications."  MORE >>

"Most federal employees assume their benefits will “take care of things” if they die unexpectedly, become disabled or retire earlier than planned. It’s not a reckless assumption, but a reasonable one. After all, the federal government offers more benefits than most private employers. The problem is that they’re often misunderstood, incomplete or dependent on choices you may not have revisited in years."  MORE >>

"[A] key question that courts will have to grapple with in each of these cases is whether the plans fall outside the ambit of ERISA in accordance with the [DOL's] 'voluntary plan' safe harbor ... Plaintiffs maintain that the employers lacked any process to review, select or monitor carriers and brokers or to confirm that broker commissions were reasonable. They further allege ERISA prohibited transactions, asserting that employers and brokers caused the payment of excessive commissions from plan assets."  MORE >>

"Historically, benefit consultants functioned primarily as intermediaries between employers and insurance carriers and did so under the protection of ERISA's fiduciary exemption. But here plaintiffs allege that consultants exercise discretion in selecting insurance carriers and insurance policies, and also in structuring voluntary benefit plans to gain sizeable commissions -- actions that, plaintiffs argue, make these consultants plan fiduciaries."  MORE >>

"This decision reinforces that ERISA fiduciaries may face liability not only for misleading statements, but also for silence, where they possess specific knowledge that a participant is terminally ill or permanently disabled and at risk of losing valuable coverage. While routine, accurate plan communications may satisfy ERISA's baseline disclosure requirements, they may be insufficient in 'special circumstances' requiring affirmative disclosure of critical benefit protections." [Atkins v. Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., No. 25-2912 (N.D. Ga. Jan. 12, 2026)]  MORE >>

"Although the plaintiff alleged that an accident in 2019 ultimately caused permanent blindness in one eye in 2023, the court held that the policy unambiguously required the physical loss to occur within 365 days of the accident. Because more than four years separated the alleged accident and the loss of vision, the court ruled that the plaintiff could not state a cognizable claim for benefits under ERISA Section 502(a)(1)(B) and granted MetLife's motion to dismiss." [Camardelle v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., No. 25-1382 (E.D. La. Dec. 19, 2025)]  MORE >>

"If EOI is required, coverage does not exist until it is approved. However, courts often are unforgiving to employers when an EOI failure surfaces after death or disability, thus opening risk to breach of fiduciary duty claims or equitable relief. Plan administrators that proactively manage EOI and communicate clearly can avoid costly disputes when it matters most."  MORE >>

"The Social Security Administration maintains the only federal database that insurers are required to periodically check for deaths. Issues with the database, however, have resulted in millions of families risking delayed or lost life insurance benefits."  MORE >>

"The court found no evidence that any employer created, sponsored, or administered an ERISA plan. Instead, the record showed four individual life insurance policies purchased by individuals associated with a business, each naming the business as beneficiary. Under either version of ownership advanced by the plaintiff -- sole ownership or equal co-ownership -- the arrangement failed to satisfy ERISA's requirement that an employer establish or maintain a plan for the purpose of providing benefits to employees." [Aikens v. Colonial Life & Accident Ins. Co., No. 24-0580 (W.D. La. Dec. 11, 2025)]  MORE >>

"For the second consecutive quarter, workplace life insurance premium rose year over year, overcoming a shaky start in the first quarter. In the third quarter of 2025, workplace life insurance new premium increased 9% to $691 million. In the first nine months of 2025, workplace life insurance new premium was $3.38 billion, down just 3% from last year's results. Despite the decline, a majority of carriers reported gains,with the top 10 companies generating 64% of the sales."  MORE >>

"End of year is a great time to review and prepare for upcoming compliance deadlines related to your group health plan offerings. Here's what you need to know to prepare for a new year: [1] [ACA] ... [2] Gag clause attestation ... [3] Internet price comparison tool ... [4] Plan document updates ... [5] Nondiscrimination testing ... [6] Life insurance imputed income."  MORE >>

"In the first nine months of 2025, new annualized premium totaled $12.7 billion, up 12% over the prior year. Policy count rose 6% year to date (YTD)."  MORE >>

"The case ... underscores the broad discretion ERISA plan administrators hold in interpreting plan terms and determining beneficiaries.... Plan terms ... control the distribution of ERISA benefits. Even a common-law marriage finding under state law does not override a plan's definition of 'Domestic Partner.' " [Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Wallace, No. 24-1520 (N.D. Tex. Oct. 22, 2025)]  MORE >>