employees, or members such as insurers, self-funded organizations, Taft-Hartley trusts, or employers who establish or participate in self funded trusts or programs.”) (emphasis added). We note that the statute would be considerably clearer if it had been drafted as follows: “ 'Group purchaser' may include: ... Entities (such as insurers, self-funded organizations, Taft-Hartley trusts, or employers who establish or participate in self funded trusts or programs) which contract for the benefit of their insured [sic], employees, or members.” 35 . See 29 U.S.C.S. § 1002(1)(A) (Law.Co-op 1992) (defining an employee welfare benefit plan as “any plan, fund, or program which ... is 5 S.Ct. at 2389. 41 . Cf. Stuart Circle Hosp. Corp. v. Aetna Health Management, 995 F.2d 500, 502 (4th Cir.) (<HOLDING>) (also holding that the statute was saved from
holding that plaintiff could recover medical fees not actually paid by the insurance company pursuant to an insurance contract holding that an action by a health care provider to recover payment from an insurance carrier is sufficiently distinct from an action by a plan participant against the insurer seeking recovery of benefits due under the terms of the insurance plan and therefore preemption in the former case would stretch the connected with or related to standard too far holding that even if an insurance broker is the agent of the insurance company for purposes of soliciting and procuring the policy that would not necessarily make the broker the agent of the insurance company for the purpose of receiving notice of suits and claims holding that virginia statute prohibiting insurance companies from unreasonably discriminating in establishing ppos is covered by erisas preemption provision because it restricts the ability of an insurance company to limit the choice of providers that otherwise would confine the participants of an employee benefit plan to those preferred by the insurer holding that under georgia law a holder of a master insurance policy is an agent of the insurance company and not the insurer