Cigna

MEMORANDUM **

Plaintiff David Van Alstine claims that Defendants wrongly terminated his long-term disability benefits. The district court affirmed the decision to terminate benefits, and we affirm in turn.

A. Standard of Review

We look to the text of the ERISA documents to decide the standard of review for denial of benefits. Walker v. Am. Home Shield Long Term Disability Plan, 180 F.3d 1065, 1068 (9th Cir.1999). The relevant plan documents are those in effect at the time of the denial of benefits. Grosz-Salomon v. Paul Revere Life Ins. Co., 237 F.3d 1154, 1160-61 (9th Cir.2001).

The ERISA plan documents here are the Master Plan Document and the Summary Plan Description. The insurance policy that implements the plan’s requirement to arrange for the provision of certain benefits is not, itself, the plan.

Article 3.1.2 of the relevant Master Plan Document clearly and expressly provides that the Plan’s Administrator has both the power “and discretionary authority” to administer the plan, including the power to determine eligibility for benefits, to construe the terms of the Plan, and to “delegate its responsibilities” and designate others to carry out its responsibilities.…