ERISA law ensures plan members receive a summary description of benefits, have appeal rights, and can file a suit for unpaid claims. ERISA is a federal law that sets minimum standards for retirement plans in private industry.This issue brief surveys state legislation influencing health care costs over the past three years and assesses the threat that ERISA preemption poses. This GRIST provides a basic primer on ERISA's preemption of state laws, including various exceptions, exclusions and court rulings. Under the Plans, for outofnetwork care, Plan beneficiaries were required to request payment from their respective Plans. How do recent ERISA amendments affect state health policy? Reimbursement disputes between healthcare providers and payers involving outofnetwork claims have increased sharply in recent years.