Blue Cross v. Anesthesia Care Associates Medical Group, Inc.

We are asked to determine whether the claims of medical providers against a health care plan for breach of their provider agreements are preempted by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq. We conclude that the fact that these medical providers obtained assignments of benefits from beneficiaries of ERISA-covered health care plans does not convert their claims into claims for benefits under ERISA-covered health care plans, and that the medical providers’ claims do not otherwise fall within ERISA’s express preemption clause, § 514(a), 29 U.S.C. § 1144 (a). We, therefore, affirm the judgments of the district courts dismissing these actions for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

*1048 I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. Medical Provider Agreements

This litigation arises from a fee dispute between four medical providers — Anesthesia Care Associates Medical Group, Inc. (“Anesthesia Care”), Anesthesiology Consultants of Contra Costa County Medical Group, Inc. (“Anesthesiology Consultants”), Kern Bone and Joint Specialists, Incorporated (“Kern Bone”), and Beaver Medical Clinic, Inc. (“Beaver Medical”) (collectively “Providers”) —…