Municipal Health Benefit Fund v. Ricky Hendrix

Summary

The court affirmed certification of two classes challenging uniform policy exclusions used to deny or reduce health-benefit claims. It held that common interpretation and enforceability questions predominated over individualized issues, and that the representative satisfied adequacy and typicality requirements. The court also held that the circuit court had jurisdiction because the fund was not a governmental body subject to the applicable administrative-appeal rule and exhaustion by absent class members would have been futile.