Opinion ID: 75440
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Margaret Shallenberger, a Harris employee, enrolled in the Harris plan on November 4, 1991. At that time, she was already enrolled in the Humana plan as the wife of an employee of the City of Ft. Lauderdale, whose coverage under Humana had commenced in 1990. On May 23, 1992, Shallenberger became ill and qualified for and elected to purchase long-term disability benefits in connection with her Harris employment. On July 1, 1994, she became entitled to Medicare A and B coverage based upon her disability and illness. She died on December 4, 1995. From the time Shallenberger became eligible for Medicare coverage in July 1994 through her death in December 1995, Harris paid approximately $780, 267.88 in benefits on her behalf and recovered approximately $13,643.99 from various providers.1 Harris first submitted a claim for reimbursement of these expenditures to Medicare, which declined to pay and noted Shallenberger's dependent coverage through