Eugene P. Regan Michael Regan v. Manager of Employee Benefits Corporate Industrial Relations of Hughes Aircraft Company

**What Happened** Eugene and Michael Regan sued Hughes Aircraft Company over health insurance coverage for their son. The family's health plan required dependents to be full-time students to remain covered past a certain age. When their son needed medical treatment, he was not enrolled as a full-time student at the time. Hughes Aircraft denied coverage, claiming he didn't meet the plan's eligibility requirements. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with Hughes Aircraft Company. The judge found that the company acted reasonably when it denied coverage because the son genuinely was not a full-time student when he needed treatment. Since the health plan clearly stated that dependents must be full-time students to qualify for coverage, Hughes Aircraft was within its rights to deny the claim. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows how important it is for employees to carefully read and understand their health insurance plan rules, especially regarding dependent coverage. Insurance plans often have strict requirements about when children can stay on a parent's policy. Workers should pay close attention to age limits, student status requirements, and other conditions that affect family coverage to avoid unexpected denials.