You know that under ERISA regulations a claimant has at least 180 days to appeal a benefit denial. ERISA plans set out contractual timelines for appeals.
But what happens when that 180 day period runs out on a weekend? Is an appeal filed on the following Monday timely?
Here’s the case of LeGras v. Aetna Life Insurance Company, __ F.3d __, 2015 WL 3406182 (9th Cir. May 28, 2015) (180 day appeal period ended on Saturday, and Claimant filed appeal on following Monday: 9th Circuit reverses trial court dismissal and deems appeal timely).
FACTS: LeGras received long term disability benefits under the Fed-Ex ERISA plan for 24 months. On April 18, 2011, Aetna, a plan administrator, then terminated benefits effective May 24, 2011 and informed LeGras that he could “file a request to appeal this decision within 180 days of receipt of this notice.” The 180 day appeal period ended Saturday, October 15, 2011. LeGras mailed his appeal on Monday, October 17, 2011.
ISSUE: Whether an appeal, filed after the appeal period expired on Saturday, was timely.
DISTRICT COURT HELD: Appeal was not timely and granted motion for judgment on the pleadings for failure to exhaust administrative remedies.
NINTH CIRCUIT HELD: REVERSED (with dissenting opinion).
RATIONALE:
- Under ERISA regulations, a “reasonable opportunity for a full and fair review” is “at least 180 days following receipt of a notification of an adverse benefit determination within which to appeal.” Op. at 6.
- An ERISA deadline that “falls on a weekend…extends to the following business day.” Op. at 7.
- “Although the stricter time computation method may be convenient for Aetna’s purposes, it would be contrary to the purposes of ERISA to adopt a method that is decidedly protective of plan administrators, not plan participants.” Op. at 8.
- DISSENT:
- “An ERISA plan is a contract…and the terms of this contract are not ambiguous. By the Plan’s terms, LeGras had 180 days to file his appeal with Aetna by mail.” Op. at 14-15.
- “LeGras messed up; he failed to abide by his contract and now seeks an excuse to set aside his failure….He could have mailed that appeal on any one of the 180 days after April 18, 2011. Dissent at 15.
- “To get around the plain terms of the contract, the majority is forced to create federal common law….” Dissent at 16.