Opinion ID: 3012779
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: NJLAD’s Bona Fide Insurance Plan Exception

Text: The District Court did not err by granting summary judgment for Aetna on the NJLAD claim. Aetna is excluded from the NJLAD as a “bona fide insurance plan.” See N.J. Stat. Ann. § 10:5-2.1. Veneziano argues that because Aetna failed to comply with state regulations by terminating Veneziano’s coverage without prior notice it cannot be considered “bona fide.” However, there is no legal precedent that supports this position. Aetna falls squarely within the definition of “bona fide” set forth by the Supreme Court for an analogous provision in the Age Discrimination in Employment Act—the plan must only “exist and pay benefits.” Pub. Employees Ret. Sys. v. Betts, 492 U.S. 158, 166 (1989) (citations omitted).