Covid-19 Called Poor Excuse for Delaying Mental Health Suits

Attorneys for patients and providers suing insurers over coverage of mental health and substance abuse treatment say the coronavirus pandemic is no longer a valid excuse to hold up litigation.

Some health insurers accused of failing to pay claims or using overly restrictive guidelines to deny benefits have cited Covid-19 in pushing for continued delays. But attorneys on the other side say their patients need court orders to stop what is persistent bad behavior by insurers, especially in the midst of a global pandemic that’s weighing on the mental health of Americans.

“I’ve had a lot of insurance companies ...