Anthem agreed to pay a roughly $1.63 million settlement to end a class-action lawsuit claiming the insurer violated federal requirements for autism treatment coverage, Bloomberg reports.
On March 23, Anthem filed a motion seeking approval of the class-action settlement in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The proposed settlement would put to rest a three-year lawsuit accusing Anthem of violating mental health parity law when it capped a 13-year-old member's autism treatment to 20 hours per week.
Anthem also agreed to toss guidelines basing coverage of treatment for severe autism disorders on a member's age.
If the court approves Anthem's settlement, at least 201 children would see relief, while a class counsel could request fees of up to $508,345, Bloomberg reports. Court documents show class members would receive an average $5,052 payment, with payments ranging from $2.02 to $36,000-plus.
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