Hearsay Exception Required for Certain Documents Outside the Administrative Record

A Plan participant brought suit under ERISA challenging the claim administrator’s decision to terminate long term disability benefits. On a motion for summary judgment, the District Court held that the hearsay rule barred the court from considering documents that discussed the administrator’s past claims handling practices. In its decision, the Court acknowledged that a history of biased claim administration was a key factor in weighing the conflict of interest. Nevertheless, the court held that documents containing a recitation of the defendant’s past administrative abuses did not fall under any of the hearsay exceptions. The court also considered the Regulatory Settlement Agreement (“RSA”) with the Department of Labor and found the report admissible as an admission of a party opponent. However, while the RSA could not be offered as evidence of claims handling in this case, the RSA warranted a more “elevated level of skepticism” with regard to the structural conflict of interest. Nevertheless, even in light of the structural conflict of interest, the court found that Unum afforded the Plaintiff an opportunity for a “full and fair review” of her claims. Therefore, the administrator’s decision was upheld because it was based on a reasonable interpretation of the plan’s terms and made in good faith.