A New Jersey judge dismissed a lawsuit June 30 alleging that Cigna refused coverage for a lab's COVID-19 services.
Open MRI and Imaging of RP Vestibular Diagnostics filed the suit in August 2020 with amendments in December 2020 over what they alleged was $400,000 in outstanding payments, according to Law360. The lawsuit claimed the payment refusal was in violation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act.
The judge threw out the claim on the basis that the lab only had assumed, not clear-cut permission to file the lawsuit on behalf of patients, which Cigna argued in February, according to Law360.
However, the case was dismissed without prejudice within 30 days, meaning that the provider can sue Cigna on the same grounds, so provided the plaintiffs obtain assignment to sue on patients' behalf, the insurer could be back in the courtroom.