Florence B. Corcoran Wife Of/and Wayne D. Corcoran v. United Healthcare, Inc., and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Inc. Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A couple’s fetus died after a utilization review company, acting for their ERISA health plan, denied hospitalization. The court held that ERISA preempted their state medical malpractice claim and that ERISA itself provided no remedy for their loss.
Legal Significance: This landmark case established that ERISA broadly preempts state-law medical malpractice claims against utilization review organizations whose medical judgments are made in the course of determining benefits, creating a significant liability shield for managed care entities under federal law.
Florence B. Corcoran Wife Of/and Wayne D. Corcoran v. United Healthcare, Inc., and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Inc. Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Florence Corcoran was a beneficiary of her employer’s self-funded health plan, which was governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The plan required pre-certification for hospital stays through a ‘Quality Care Program’ (QCP) administered by defendant United Healthcare, Inc. (United), a utilization review (UR) organization. The plan documents described United’s role as providing ‘independent medical review’ to assess the necessity of care and determine what benefits the plan would cover, imposing a significant financial penalty if its decisions were not followed. Corcoran’s obstetrician recommended hospitalization for her high-risk pregnancy. United reviewed the request and denied pre-certification for the hospital stay, instead authorizing 10 hours per day of home nursing care. Corcoran complied with United’s determination and left the hospital. Subsequently, during a period when no nurse was on duty, the fetus experienced distress and died. The Corcorans filed a wrongful death action in Louisiana state court, alleging medical malpractice by United. The defendants removed the case to federal court, arguing the claim was preempted by ERISA.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) preempt a state-law medical malpractice claim against a utilization review organization that makes a medical decision while determining the availability of benefits under an employee welfare benefit plan?
Yes. The state-law medical malpractice claim is preempted by ERISA because the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse ci
IRAC Legal Analysis
About IRAC analysis
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the structure professors expect in exam answers. Each LSD.Law brief states the issue, the governing rule with citations, the court's application of that rule, and the conclusion - the same reasoning pattern you will use on exams and in practice.
Legal Issue
Does the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) preempt a state-law medical malpractice claim against a utilization review organization that makes a medical decision while determining the availability of benefits under an employee welfare benefit plan?
Conclusion
This decision solidified ERISA's broad preemptive scope over state tort law in Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo con
Legal Rule
Under ERISA § 514(a), any and all state laws are superseded insofar Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit ess
Legal Analysis
The court determined that United's function was a hybrid of medical decision-making Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veni
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- ERISA preempts state-law medical malpractice claims against utilization review (UR) organizations