Hackney v. AllMed Healthcare Management Inc.

OPINION

JANE B. STRANCH, Circuit Judge.

James Hackney was covered by a disability policy through his employer and, due to his declining medical condition, filed a claim for long-term disability insurance benefits. The insurance carrier sent his medical records to a third-party reviewer, AllMed, for a medical opinion on whether Hackney’s records supported a finding of total disability. Upon receiving AllMed’s opinion that Hackney was not disabled, the insurance carrier denied his claim. Hackney subsequently brought this state-law claim against AllMed, which removed the case to federal court…