Why you should care about ERISA

ERISA is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. I will blog more about it later (as well as changes I think should be made). In short, it regulates and probably preempts (that is, trumps state and local laws) dealing with your employer provided health insurance or retirement plans.

ERISA generally blows. It is not a very consumer friendly statute. Usually the cost of the benefits you should have received is the only damages you can get if your health plan fails to deliver what it should. So you get no attorney fees or money for diminished health or lost job and the like. As I said, blows with a capital LOWS.

If you can't wait: www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/erisa.htm

In my view it should incorporate elements of the Fair Crediting Reporting Act (FCRA)--namely the damages sections.