January 2001- ERISA

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="04a085a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Kreiner & Peters Co., L.P.A.</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kreiner Peters Co., L.P.A."><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2004 Subrogation under Legisla"><U>December 2004 - Subrogation under Legislative Scrutiny</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2004 Lawson"><U>November 2004 - Lawson</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2004 Restitution"><U>November 2004 - Restitution</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2004 Rental"><U>August 2004 -  Rental</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2002 ERISA"><U>February 2002 - ERISA</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2001 ERISA"><U>November 2001 - ERISA</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2001 Evidence"><U>November 2001 - Evidence</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2001 Intentional Acts"><U>June 2001 - Intentional Acts</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2001 Fiduciary"><U>May 2001 - Fiduciary</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2001 ERISA provisions"><U>April 2001 - ERISA  provisions</U></A>   |   <B>January 2001- ERISA</B>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2000 ERISA Fiduciary"><U>2000 - ERISA Fiduciary</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2000 Medical Payments"><U>2000 - Medical Payments</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2000 ERISA"><U>2000 - ERISA</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04bd2e83.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Janurary 2001 - ERISA</I></div> <div> <B>JANUARY 2001</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>ERISA ENFORCEMENT OF REIMBURSEMENT:</B></div> <div> <B>SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE</B> </div> <bR> <div> Our last newsletter highlighted the <U>Reynolds Metals Co. v. Ellis</U> case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. This case presented the high court with the opportunity to decide what types of actions can be brought to enforce the terms of an ERISA plan. <U>Ellis</U> presented a case for the court to determine if a plan fiduciary can seek enforcement of plan reimbursement provision under 29 U.S.C. §1132(a)(3). But the parties to the <U>Ellis</U> action reached an out of court agreement dismissing the appeal as of December 29, 2000.</div> <bR> <div> Without word from the Supreme Court, plans are left to varying court rulings on the enforcement of plan language, specifically plan reimbursement provisions. The Ninth Circuit continues to reject any attempts to enforce a plan's reimbursement provision under ERISA as lacking federal court subject matter jurisdiction. See <U>FMC Medical Plan v. Owens</U>, 122 F.3d 1258 (9th Cir. 1997).</div> <bR> <div> In contrast, the Eleventh Circuit rejected application of <U>Owens</U> to a reimbursement action. See <U>Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama v. Sanders</U>, 138 F.3d 1347 (11th Cir. 1998). In a lengthy footnote, the <U>Sanders</U> court held specific performance was an equitable remedy allowable under 29 U.S.C. §1132(A)(3) coffering jurisdiction on the federal courts. Two other Circuits previously held that actions seeking specific performance of a plan's reimbursement provision were properly brought in federal court under 29 U.S.C. §1132(A)(3). See <U>Southern Council of Industrial Workers v. Ford</U>, 83 F.3d 966 (8th Cir. 1996); <U>Health Cost Controls v. Skinner</U>, 44 F.3d 535 (7th Cir. 1995). The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals for Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee may address this issue later this spring in the case of <U>Community Insurance Co. v. Ruth Miller</U> which is currently set for oral arguments in March, 2001.</div> <bR> <div> On January 22, 2001 the U.S. Supreme Court again agreed to decide this issue in <U>Great-West Life & Annuity Ins. Co. v. Knudson</U>, 208F.3d 221 (9th Cir. 2000). Plan enforcement will remain uncertain until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on this issue.</div> <bR> <div> ©2001 Kreiner & Peters Co., L.P.A.</div> <bR> <div> <B>This is an advertisement</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>