Managed care interface
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The U. S. ⋯ Herdrich--that decisions by an HMO's physician employees in which eligibility issues and reasonable medical treatment are inextricably mixed are not fiduciary acts under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)--was applauded by the managed care industry. By delineating issues on which it was not ruling, however, the Court's decision may have given a boost to additional lawsuits against managed care plans on both ERISA and malpractice grounds.