Wachtel v. Metropolitan Life Insurance

OPINION OF THE COURT

Joanna Seybert, J.

The novel issue presented is:

Can an insurer be required to provide additional or supplemental benefits based upon an individual insured’s religious beliefs or practices?

facts

Plaintiff employee and his wife, a covered dependent, have *666group health insurance under the New York State Government Employees Health Insurance Plan (hereinafter the Plan), which was previously provided by Metropolitan Insurance and currently is provided by Empire. There is no dispute that plaintiff and his wife were, at all relevant periods, covered by the Plan. They seek $532 in…