A day after Ed Asner died at the age of 91, his lawsuit against the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan was allowed to live on.
U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder indicated at a hearing that she would deny a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Asner joined nine other actors in suing the health plan last December over its decision to exclude nearly 12,000 union members from health coverage.
The plan informed members in August 2020 that it was raising the earnings floor for eligibility, citing rising costs and the dire situation brought about by the COVID-19 production shutdown. Without the plan changes, the trustees warned that the fund would run out of money by 2024.
Asner, a former SAG president, alleged in the suit that he would lose his health benefits because his earnings — excluding residuals — did not reach the new, $25,950-a-year coverage threshold. The suit accused the health plan of discriminating against older members, who were disproportionately likely to be excluded from the plan. Though he died on Sunday, Asner remains a plaintiff in the case, which was filed as a class action suit.
A day after Ed Asner died at the age of 91, his lawsuit against the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan was allowed to live on.
U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder indicated at a hearing that she would deny a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Asner joined nine other actors in suing the health plan last December over its decision to exclude nearly 12,000 union members from health coverage.
The plan informed members in August 2020 that it was raising the earnings floor for eligibility, citing rising costs and the dire situation brought about by the COVID-19 production shutdown. Without the plan changes, the trustees warned that the fund would run out of money by 2024.
Asner, a former SAG president, alleged in the suit that he would lose his health benefits because his earnings — excluding residuals — did not reach the new, $25,950-a-year coverage threshold. The suit accused the health plan of discriminating against older members, who were disproportionately likely to be excluded from the plan. Though he died on Sunday, Asner remains a plaintiff in the case, which was filed as a class action suit.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety