Supreme Court justices say they want to resolve a long-term disability insurance case without accidentally wiping out Employee Retirement Income Security Act plans.

The concern came up Tuesday during oral arguments on Heimeshoff vs. Hartford Life and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Case Number 12-729).

Julie Heimeshoff, the benefits claimant in the case, says the "statute of limitations" that governs when claimants can sue should start after claimants have completed the carriers' own internal appeal process and are legally able to sue.

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Allison Bell

Allison Bell, a senior reporter at ThinkAdvisor and BenefitsPRO, previously was an associate editor at National Underwriter Life & Health. She has a bachelor's degree in economics from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She can be reached through X at @Think_Allison.