Frost

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS AND THIRD PARTIES’ MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO QUASH SUBPOENAS AS TO AMY HOPKINS, M.D., REGINALD GIVENS, M.D., JOSEPH JARES, III, M.D., KATHERINE DUVALL, M.D., NETWORK MEDICAL REVIEW, AND ELITE PHYSICIANS, LTD. (DOCKET NOS. 16 AND 34)

I. INTRODUCTION

This is an ERISA action seeking the recovery of long term disability benefits under a plan insured by Defendant Met-Life. Plaintiff Sandra Frost (“Plaintiff’), an employee of Wells Fargo Bank, asserts that she was rendered totally disabled from her job as of January 2, 2002. (Jt. Stip. at 2). Plaintiff claims that she suffers from numerous serious medical conditions, including Multiple Sclerosis. (Id.). MetLife, as the administrator of the Wells Fargo Short Term Disability Plan and as the insurer of the Wells Fargo Long Term Disability Plan, paid Plaintiffs claim from January 1, 2002 through February 29, 2004. (Id.). At that time, MetLife terminated payments to Plaintiff.

MetLife based the February 29, 2004 denial on the opinion of Dr. Amy Hopkins, the medical record reviewer for MetLife. (Jt. Stip. at 2). MetLife contracted…