Waldrip v. Connecticut National Life Insurance Co.

566 So. 2d 434, 1990 La. App. LEXIS 1948
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 30, 1990
DocketNo. 90-CA-135
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 566 So. 2d 434 (Waldrip v. Connecticut National Life Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Waldrip v. Connecticut National Life Insurance Co., 566 So. 2d 434, 1990 La. App. LEXIS 1948 (La. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

WICKER, Judge.

Connecticut National Life Insurance Company (CNL); Delta Health Network, Inc.; and Delta Care Group Trust appeal a summary judgment rendered against them and in favor of the plaintiff, John B. Wal-drip. The issue is applicability of a coverage exclusion in a health care policy. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.

Waldrip, through his law firm, had group health coverage connected to three entities: CNL, Delta Health, and Delta Care. CNL and Delta Health agreed on July 1, 1986, that Delta Health would perform certain functions for CNL with regard to medical insurance policies: underwriting, claims, premium collection, and administration. Delta Health in turn created the Delta Care Trust on August 29, 1986, for the purpose of providing a group insurance plan and fund. CNL issued a group health insurance policy to Delta Care on August 31, 1986. Waldrip’s law firm then contracted with Delta Care, as a preferred provider organization, in January of 1987.

Waldrip developed terminal liver dysfunction caused by chronic hepatitis. He was admitted to East Jefferson General Hospital on February 23, 1988, where he was treated conservatively but unsuccessfully. His treating physician, Robert E. Songy, M.D., in conjunction with a specialist in liver transplantation, Daniel H. Hayes, M.D., recommended a liver transplant as the only way to save Waldrip’s life. Dr. Hayes admitted him to Ochsner Foundation Hospital, which is an accepted transplant center, on March 3, 1988, for surgery. Both doctors believed Waldrip, who was in otherwise good health and relatively young, had only a few weeks to live.

Waldrip and Ochsner attempted to confirm insurance coverage for his surgery with Delta Health. CNL advised Delta Health that liver transplantation was considered experimental and not covered by the policy on March 9, 1988, one day after Waldrip’s surgery. According to correspondence between Waldrip and Delta Health, Waldrip was not advised of this non-coverage until months later. Waldrip’s surgery has apparently been successful and, with proper monitoring and drug therapy, he is projected to have a nearly-normal life span.

On June 29, 1988, Delta Health cancelled the law firm’s policy effective September 1, 1988, but agreed to “pay all valid claims incurred” prior to the cancellation date. Letters from Waldrip requested reasons for the cancellation and payment of claims for his Ochsner hospitalization and surgery, approximately $160,000.00. He also requested payment of all liver-related claims which were expected to continue past the cancellation date.

Waldrip filed suit against CNL, Delta Health, and Delta Care as well as the Trustees of Delta Care Group Trust. These latter were never served so are parties neither to the trial action nor this appeal. At issue is the provision in CNL’s policy which defines “experimental” to mean

care, treatment, services or supplies not approved or accepted as essential to the treatment of injury or sickness by any of the following:
(1) the American Medical Association;
(2) the United States Surgeon General;
(3) the United States Department of Public Health; or
(4) the National Institutes of Health....

Waldrip filed a motion in limine to exclude consideration of this experimental treatment exclusion as a defense. The judge granted the motion, ruling that this provision was in violation of the “Entire Contract Statute” [La.R.S. 22:628]. At the same time, he denied the motions for summary judgment of all parties. Shortly thereafter, Waldrip filed another motion for summary judgment, alleging that be[436]*436cause CNL had been foreclosed from raising the experimental treatment exclusion as a defense, he was entitled to judgment based upon the policy provisions as a matter of law.

The judge agreed and awarded him $160,613.65 in benefits; and CNL, Delta Care, and Delta Health have appealed this judgment. In a later judgment he also awarded the same amount in penalties as well as amounts for other medical benefits which had been unpaid because of CNL’s cancellation of Waldrip’s policy, he ordered CNL to continue coverage for Waldrip’s illness, and he deferred a decision on an award of attorney’s fees in favor of Wal-drip pending an evidentiary hearing on the matter. This latter judgment has also been appealed but has not been consolidated with the matter under consideration in this appeal.

CNL, Delta Care, and Delta Health assign errors: the judge erred in precluding them from presenting evidence regarding the experimental treatment exclusion, he erred in granting summary judgment against them based on his erroneous exclusion of the experimental treatment evidence, and he erred in granting summary judgment against Delta Care and Delta Health because they were not Waldrip’s insurer and were acting as limited agents for a disclosed principal.

Since the judgment in question was a summary one, it must be evaluated in light of the requirements of La.C.C.P. arts. 966 and 967.

The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to material fact, and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
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When a motion for summary judgment is made and supported as provided above, an adverse party may not rest on the mere allegations or denials of his pleadings, but his response, by affidavits or as otherwise provided above, must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. If he does not so respond, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be rendered against him.

LIABILITY OF CNL

CNL did not appeal the judgment in limine which excluded from consideration any evidence on the experimental nature of liver transplants. However, it is that ruling and its effect that enabled Wal-drip to obtain his summary judgment; so we believe it is necessary to consider the propriety of that judgment.

La.R.S. 22:628, the legal basis for the decision, reads

No agreement in conflict with, modifying, or extending the coverage of any contract of insurance shall be valid unless it is in writing and physically made a part of the policy or other written evidence of insurance, or it is incorporated in the policy or other written evidence of insurance by specific reference to another policy or written evidence of insurance. ...

CNL, Delta Health, and Delta Care argue that this statute does not apply to the experimental treatment exclusion because it was explicitly stated in the policy and was not an application, by-law, statement, agreement or other instrument sought to be incorporated into the policy and the exclusion merely incorporated definitional terms which are permitted by the statute. Waldrip argues that the exclusionary language referred to extrinsic determinations which made it impossible for anyone, including CNL, to determine whether or not liver transplants were covered under the policy.

We believe that La.R.S. 22:624 is also relevant to this decision:

A. The written instrument, in which a contract of insurance is set forth, is the policy.
B. A policy shall specify:

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Related

Cochran v. Travelers Ins. Co.
606 So. 2d 22 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1992)
Waldrip v. CONNECTICUT NAT. LIFE INS. CO.
566 So. 2d 434 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1990)

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Bluebook (online)
566 So. 2d 434, 1990 La. App. LEXIS 1948, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/waldrip-v-connecticut-national-life-insurance-co-lactapp-1990.