Puccio

ORDER DENYING SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND REMANDING TO PLAN ADMINISTRATOR

Re: Dkt. No.

Plaintiff Annina Puccio has sued defendant Standard Insurance Company (“Standard”) under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) for denial of long-term disability (“LTD”) benefits. 1 As Standard forthrightly acknowledges, Puccio has experienced a number of health problems and is disabled. Dkt. No. 78 at 2. Standard disbursed full LTD benefits to Puccio under her plan for mental and musculoskeletal disorders, both of which were limited to 24-month payment periods. But Standard denied Puccio LTD benefits for disability attributable to other physical conditions, such as gastrointestinal issues and Addison’s disease, that are not subject to the 24-month limitation. Standard has moved for summary judgment on the ground that the denial decision was within its lawful discretion. The Court has carefully considered the record and the parties’ written and oral arguments, and now denies the motion and remands the matter to the plan administrator to re-evaluate plaintiffs eligibility for benefits.

BACKGROUND

Puccio enrolled in an LTD insurance policy provided by Standard while working for…