Woman Files Class-Action Lawsuit Against Blue Shield of California Over Reconstructive Surgery Coverage Refusal
A woman has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Blue Shield of California for failing to cover reconstructive breast and eyelid surgeries despite "normal appearance" tests that allow the procedures. In the lawsuit, Lisa Burton argues that the insurer's refusal to cover the procedures violates a section of the California Health & Safety Code, which requires health plans to cover reconstructive surgeries when it "will either resolve a functional problem or create a normal appearance."
- "Class Sues Blue Shield for Denying Surgeries" (Bonner, Courthouse News, 4/28).