If you were enrolled in a health benefit plan of AmeriHealth Insurance Company of New Jersey or AmeriHealth HMO between the dates of September 11, 2002 to June 7, 2011 and filed a insurance claim you could be considered a class member of the Pontani Eating Disorder Settlement. Please see the Italics below for the official statement released under the settlement terms.
The lawsuit claims that the health insurance companies violated the New Jersey Mental Health Parity Law by limiting or denying claims relating to the treatment of eating disorders. The lead plantifss are Peter Pontani and Louise Pontani, whose daughter was fully covered under AmeriHealth Insurance Company of New Jersey.
In order to file a claim in the Pontani Eating Disorder Settlement please visit www.pontanieatingdisordersettlement.com and click on the documents header. All claim forms MUST be sent to the Settlement Administrator postmarked no later than September 19, 2011. The final approval hearing will take place on October 3, 2011 and all objections are due by September 5, 2011.
Other available documents at the Pontani Eating Disorder Settlement Administrator website include:
Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement
Settlement Agreement
Second Amended Complaint Class Action Complaint
“You may be a Class Member if you are or were enrolled in a fully-insured health benefit plan of AmeriHealth Insurance Company of New Jersey or AmeriHealth HMO, Inc. (collectively, “AmeriHealth”) and you had a claim between September 11, 2002 and June 7, 2011 for payment of mental health expenses, supplies, and/or services relating to the treatment of an eating disorder that (1) was denied or limited because of limitations of coverage applicable to non-biologically based mental illnesses (“BBMIs”); or (2) was not submitted but would have been denied or limited because of limitations of coverage applicable to non-BBMIs. Your rights may be affected by a proposed settlement with AmeriHealth and Magellan Health Services, Inc., Green Spring Health Services, Inc., Magellan Behavioral Health, Inc., and Magellan Behavioral Health of New Jersey, LLC (collectively, “Magellan”) (AmeriHealth and Magellan are collectively, the “Companies”), in the class action lawsuit known as Peter Pontani, et al. v. AmeriHealth Insurance Company of New Jersey, et al., Civil Action No. 08-4580 (FSH) (MAS) (the “Action”) pending in the United States District Court, District of New Jersey (the “Court”).”
