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Insurance Commissioner Announces Examination of Anthem’s Claims-Related Data

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced last week that his office will conduct an examination of Anthem Blue Cross’s claims-related data used by Anthem to justify its future rate filings. This comes after Anthem’s decision to withdraw its recent application to increase rates to thousands of insureds in California.  Here is the press release:

NEWS RELEASE

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner Announces Examination of Anthem’s Claims-Related Data

Full Independent Actuarial Review of Recently-Withdrawn Anthem Filing Also Released Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced that the California Department of Insurance (CDI) had begun an effort to assess the validity of the claims data used by Anthem Blue Cross to justify future rate filings.

“As Anthem readies its new rate filing, I have directed auditors at the Department of Insurance to determine whether the underlying information used by Anthem to prepare these documents is fair and accurate. This review will investigate whether there are problems with their claims payments systems and data controls,” said Commissioner Poizner. “I will not allow insurers to inflate their rates based on faulty systems or inaccurate data.”

The examination, started in early April, is scrutinizing Anthem’s accounting and claims systems in regards to the recording and documenting of premiums and claims data, and a review of the information systems and controls in place. The examination includes a review of the Company’s paid claims database, premium database and information systems processes and controls.

The data analyzed in the exam is ultimately the input that goes into the calculation of the company’s medical loss ratio.

Commissioner Poizner also released the full independent, outside actuarial analysis performed by Axene Health Partners, LLC. The 145 page report was conducted over a 10-week period and required 500 hours of work by four licensed actuaries. A summary of the review is below and the entire review is available at our Web site at http://www.insurance.ca.gov.

Based upon a thorough review of Anthem’s calculations, Axene found numerous errors in the methodology used by Anthem to project total lifetime loss ratios. Correcting these errors resulted in lower lifetime loss ratios than initially calculated by Anthem.

The errors identified included:

Error #1: Double counting of aging in the calculation of underlying medical trend for the projection of total lifetime loss ratio.

Error #2: Anthem overstated the initial medical trend used to project claims for September 2009 for known risk factors.

Both of these errors are errors of math and not differences in actuarial opinion.

Two Major California Health Insurers to Cease Practice of Policy Rescissions

For several years, health insurers have been strongly criticized for engaging in post claim underwriting and improper policy cancellations, known in the law as “rescissions.”  The Insurance Commissioner has even recently regulated the practice.

Now, after this significant criticism and facing tougher federal regulation, two of California’s largest health insurers say they will stop rescinding policies.  WellPoint Inc., the parent of Anthem Blue Cross of California, and Blue Shield of California, made the announcement yesterday.  WellPoint Chief Executive Angela Braly said in a statement that the company’s “goal is to make reform work for our members and for the country.”

Even before this announcement, several health insurers in California had stopped (or largely stopped) policy rescissions.  Under the new federal Healthcare Act, insurers will be limited in their ability to rescind health insurance policies.  In 2014, this legislation will require insurers to sell policies to consumers regardless of preexisting conditions.  This will effectively preclude the practice of rescissions.

The Los Angeles Times reports that last year, only four such cancellations were reported to the managed healthcare department, down from 1,552 in 2005.  Since 2004, at least 5,000 Californians had their insurance policies rescinded by the state’s five largest health insurers — Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net, Kaiser and PacifiCare.  That includes about 3,500 policies regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care and another 1,600 policies regulated by the Department of Insurance.

This is a wise and very practical move by Wellpoint.  Let’s see if other insurers who have not stopped the practice follow suit.

The California Insurance and Life, Health, Disability Blog at californiainsurancelitigation.com and at mslawllp.com All rights reserved

What Does a Deferential Standard of Review Mean in ERISA Cases? The U.S. Supreme Court Gives Some Clarification

The federal courts have for a long time struggled with how to apply the deferential standard of review to actions taken by ERISA plan administrators in light of the United States Supreme Court holding in Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Bruch, 489 U.S. 101 (1989).  Firestone held that an ERISA plan administrator with discretionary authority to interpret a plan is entitled to deference in exercising that discretion.  Courts have reached different results on an important issue: is a plan administrator that incorrectly interprets a plan document still entitled to an abuse of discretion standard of review when courts review the administrator’s actions?  The Supreme Court answered that question in the affirmative in Conkright v. Frommert, __ U.S. __ (April 21, 2010).  The Court telegraphed how it would rule when it framed the issue as: “The question here is whether a single honest mistake in plan interpretation justifies stripping the administrator of that deference for subsequent related interpretations of the plan.”

This is the Court’s first foray into the post-Glenn era of ERISA.  In Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. v. Glenn, 554 U.S. __, 128 S. Ct. 2343 (2008), the Court reaffirmed Firestone’s adoption of a deferential standard of review under section 1132(a)(1)(B).  Glenn elucidated the Court’s statement in Firestone and directed courts to proceed by “taking account of several different, often case-specific, factors, reaching a result by weighing all together.”  Id. at 2350.  The Court observed that a conflict of interest “should prove more important (perhaps of great importance) where circumstances suggest a higher likelihood that it affected the benefits decision,” and “should prove less important (perhaps to the vanishing point) where the administrator has taken active steps to reduce potential bias and to promote accuracy.” Id.

Conkright involved Xerox Corporation’s pension plan (“Plan”) in which Xerox acted as the plan administrator (“Plan Administrator”).   The Plan granted the Plan Administrator broad discretion to “[c]onstrue the Plan” and “to take such action as may be necessary to correct [any] defect, rectify [any] omission or reconcile [any] inconsistency”.

Respondents were employees who left Xerox in the 1980’s, received lump-sum distributions of retirement benefits earned up to that point, and were later rehired.  To account for the past distributions when calculating respondents’ benefits, the Plan Administrator initially interpreted the Plan to call for an approach that has come to be known as the “phantom account” method.  Respondents challenged that method in an action under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”).

The District Court granted summary judgment for the Plan, but the Second Circuit vacated and remanded, holding that the Plan Administrator’s interpretation was unreasonable and that Respondents had not received adequate notice that the phantom account method would be used to calculate their benefits.  On remand, the Plan Administrator proposed a new interpretation of the Plan that accounted for the time value of the money Respondents had previously received.  The District Court declined to apply a deferential standard to this interpretation, and adopted instead an approach proposed by Respondents that did not account for the time value of money.  The District Court ordered the Plan Administrators to pay a lump sum in the amount of the difference between their total accrued benefits and the prior lump sum distribution, without any reference to phantom accounts or hypothetical investment gains.

Affirming in relevant part, the Second Circuit held that the District Court was correct not to apply a deferential standard on remand, and that the District Court’s decision on the merits was not an abuse of discretion.  The Second Circuit stated that it was unclear whether a de novo or arbitrary and capricious standard of review applied.  It found, however, that “under either an arbitrary and capricious standard or as a matter of law,” that the Plan Administrator’s use of the phantom account method was a violation of ERISA.

The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the District Court should have applied a deferential standard of review to the Plan Administrator’s interpretation of the Plan on remand.  The Court addressed the standard for reviewing the decisions of ERISA plan administrators in light of Firestone.  Firestone looked to “principles of trust law” for guidance.  Id. at 111.  Under trust law, the appropriate standard depends on the language of the instrument creating the trust.  In Firestone the court held that when a trust instrument gives the trustee “power to construe disputed or doubtful terms, . . . the trustee’s interpretation will not be disturbed if reasonable.”  Id.  The Court explained that under Firestone and the Plan’s terms, the Plan Administrator would normally be entitled to deference when interpreting the Plan.  The Court of Appeals, however, crafted an exception to Firestone deference, holding that a court need not apply a deferential standard when a plan administrator’s previous construction of the same plan terms was found to violate ERISA.

The Court found that the Second Circuit’s “one-strike-and-you’re-out” approach had no basis in Firestone.  The Court explained that the Plan granted the Plan Administrator general interpretive authority without suggesting that the authority was limited to a first effort to construe the Plan and noted that although trust law does not resolve the specific question of whether courts may strip a plan administrator of Firestone deference after one good faith mistake, guiding principles underlying ERISA do.  The Court placed significant importance on the conclusion that Firestone deference serves the “interest of uniformity, helping to avoid a patchwork of different interpretations of a plan, like the one here, that covers employees in different jurisdictions—a result that ‘would introduce considerable inefficiencies in benefit program operation, which might lead those employers with existing plans to reduce benefits, and those without such plans to refrain from adopting them.’” The Court, seemingly annoyed at the District Court’s interpretation of the Plan that did not include the time value of money, recognized that according to actuaries this interpretation was “highly unforeseeable.”

Respondents asserted that deference is less important once a plan administrator’s interpretation has been found unreasonable, but the court rejected this, stating that the interests in efficiency, predictability, and uniformity do not suddenly disappear simply because of a single honest mistake.

The Court dismissed Respondents’ claim that plan administrators will adopt unreasonable interpretations of their plans, receiving deference each time, thereby undermining the prompt resolution of benefit disputes, driving up litigation costs, and discouraging employees from challenging plan administrators’ decisions.  The Court explained that these concerns were “overblown.”  But, the Court acknowledged that multiple erroneous interpretations of the same plan provision, even if issued in good faith, could support a finding that a plan administrator is too incompetent to exercise his discretion fairly.  The Court determined that applying a deferential standard of review also does not mean that the plan administrator will always prevail on the merits.  It means only that the plan administrator’s interpretation “will not be disturbed if reasonable.”

The California Insurance and Life, Health, Disability Blog at californiainsurancelitigation.com and at mslawllp.com All rights reserved

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Hardt v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance: Under What Circumstances Can a Court Award Attorneys’ Fees in ERISA Actions?

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in the important ERISA disability case of Hardt v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance (09-448).  In that case, Bridget Hardt filed suit, arguing that Reliance Standard Life Insurance Co. wrongly denied her claim for long-term disability benefits.  The district court found that Reliance’s original decision denying benefits disregarded pertinent medical evidence in violation of ERISA and found that the decision was otherwise unsupported by substantial evidence. Based on those findings, the district court remanded the matter to Reliance for reconsideration, ordering it to make a new benefits determination, after which it finally granted the benefits due. The district court then awarded Hardt $39,149 in attorney fees.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, holding that section 502(g)(1) of ERISA provides a district court discretion to award attorney fees only to a prevailing party, and Hardt was not a prevailing party because her only request for relief was the award of benefits, which the district court did not award.

The questions presented were: (1) Whether ERISA section 502(g)(1) provides a district court with discretion to award reasonable attorney’s fees only to a prevailing party; and (2) whether a party is entitled to attorney’s fees pursuant to section 502(g)(1) when she persuades a district court that a violation of ERISA has occurred, successfully secures a judicially ordered remand requiring a redetermination of entitlement to benefits, and subsequently receives the benefits sought on remand.

The justices interrupted both sides frequently during oral throwing out hypothetical questions in an apparent effort to find a rule that would work in situations where a result was achieved, even though it was not based on the award sought and did not result from a judgment.  There were many questions around the issue of a plan participant achieving substantial success with a remand to the claim administrator.  It appears that the court is poised to allow an award of attorney’s fees even if a plan participant does not obtain an award of benefits in litigation or does not achieve a judgment.  It is interesting that the Court’s new decision in Conkright v. Frommert, __ U.S. __ (April 21, 2010) came up five times in the context that this decision encourages remands, which will limit the opportunity of plan participants to obtain judicial decisions.  Indeed, rather than making a judicial decision, the decision makes it likely that the plan participant would prevail before the plan administrator.  Thus, given Conkright, denying an award of attorney’s fees in these types of situations will, according to Justice Roberts, “severely limit the circumstances under which Plaintiffs are entitled to fees.” The transcript is here.

The California Insurance and Life, Health, Disability Blog at californiainsurancelitigation.com and at mslawllp.com All rights reserved

Reasonable Reliance on Erroneous SPD Needed to Establish Entitlement to Additional ERISA Benefits

What happens when an ERISA plan provides for a certain level of benefits and the required summary plan description (“SPD”) given to plan participants provides for greater benefits?  The District Court for the Central District of California answered that question recently with its holding in Skinner v. Northrop Grumman Retirement Plan B, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6591 (C.D. Cal. Jan 26, 2010).  In that case, the court held that former employees who received an inaccurate SPD were not entitled to increased retirement benefits as a result of the error.  In so ruling, the court determined that plaintiffs failed to demonstrate “reasonable reliance” on the SPD, which plaintiffs contended did not provide them sufficient notice of the plan’s offset provision.  The district court applied the standard set by the Ninth Circuit in reversing a prior ruling granting a motion for summary judgment wherein the court, in an unpublished decision in Skinner v. Northrop Grumman Retirement Plan B, 334 Fed. Appx. 58, 2009 WL 1416725, *1 (9th Cir. May 21, 2009), concluded:

On remand, the district court should reconsider each of [Plaintiffs’] claims in light of our conclusion that (1) the 2003 SPD’s incorporation of the 1998 SPD by reference did not notify [Plaintiffs] that the annuity equivalent offset would apply to their transition benefits, and (2) in terms of [Plaintiffs’]  expectations for Part B of the transition benefit, the 1998 SPD’s description of the offset’s limited applicability controls over the 2003 Restatement’s description of the offset as universally applicable. (emphasis original)

Although plaintiffs disagreed, the court adopted defendants’ argument that the Ninth Circuit required a showing of “reasonable reliance.”  The district court reasoned that providing an additional benefit absent a showing of reasonable reliance would provide a windfall for the former employees and that is a “result abhorred by ERISA.”  The court further explained that although the Ninth Circuit has not addressed this issue specifically, a majority of circuits have so held at *24-*25:

Although the Ninth Circuit has not directly decided  whether reasonable reliance on a defective SPD is required in order to recover under its terms, three district courts in this Circuit — including one decision affirmed by the Ninth Circuit — have held that reasonable reliance is required in order to recover for a claim based on a defective SPD. For example, in Adams, which was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit, the district court found “that reasonable reliance is necessary before a plaintiff can recover under an SPD that conflicts with a [plan document].” Adams v. J.C. Penney, 865 F.Supp. 1454, 1460 (D. Or. 1994). In Kaiser Permanente Plan v. Bertozzi, 849 F.Supp. 692, 698 (N.D. Cal. 1994), the court held that “an employee who wishes to enforce the terms of an SPD, in lieu of conflicting terms contained in the actual plan, must first prove that he or she reasonably relied on those terms.” Similarly, in Berry v. Blue Cross, 815 F.Supp. 359, 364-65 (W.D. Wash. 1993), the court held that “an employee must have relied on a plan summary in order to prevail in a claim based on the language of the summary.” The holdings of Adams, Bertozzi, and Berry requiring reasonable reliance on a defective SPD are also consistent with the long line of Ninth Circuit cases requiring reliance before allowing recovery for alleged ERISA disclosure violations. (Citations and footnotes omitted).

Benefits that have already been accrued are governed by ERISA section 204(g)(1), which states: “[t]he accrued benefit of a participant under a plan may not be decreased by an amendment of the plan.”  However, the court rejected plaintiffs’ argument that defendants “retroactively altered the Plan, and retroactively reduced benefits” because they “reduced benefits already vested in participants and beneficiaries.”  Id. at *30.

This case is again on appeal to the Ninth Circuit so we will soon see if the district court was correct in adopting “reasonable reliance” standard.

The California Insurance and Life, Health, Disability Blog at californiainsurancelitigation.com and at mslawllp.com All rights reserved

Right to Jury Trial Trumps Binding Arbitration When Insurer Unreasonably Delays Paying Independent Defense Counsel

In an article appearing in the April 12, 2010 editions of the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals, I discuss the impact of the California Fourth Appellate District’s Intergulf Development, LLC. v. Superior Court (Interstate Fire & Casualty Company). Here it is:

In an important vindication of a California policyholder’s right to a jury trial to enforce an insurer’s duty to defend, the California Fourth Appellate District recently held that a liability insurer that fails to promptly acknowledge its insured’s right to independent counsel and begin funding that defense forfeits its rights to binding arbitration under Civil Code section 2860.  Intergulf Development, LLC. v. Superior Court (Interstate Fire & Casualty Company), __ Cal.App.4th __, 2010 WL 1052745 (March 24, 2010).  In Intergrulf, the court ruled that the insured may proceed first to a jury trial, and, if successful, recover contract and tort damages against the insurer.

The Duty to Defend Under California Law

Under California law, a liability insurer must defend its insured if the underlying complaint alleges the insured’s liability for damages potentially covered under the policy or if the complaint might be amended to give rise to a liability that would be covered under the policy.”  Montrose Chem. Corp. v. Superior Court, 6 Cal. 4th 287, 299 (1993).  The duty to defend arises at the time the insured tenders defense of the third party lawsuit to the insurer.  Imposition of an immediate duty to defend is necessary to afford the insured what it is entitled to: the full protection of a defense on its behalf. Montrose Chem. Corp., supra, 6 Cal. 4th at 295; Buss v. Superior Court (Transamerica Ins. Co.), 16 Cal. 4th 35, 49 (1997) (“To defend meaningfully, the insurer must defend immediately”); 10 Cal. Code Regs., section 2695.7(b).  On occasion, an insurer will delay its decision to defend outright, defend under a reservation of rights, or deny coverage altogether while it “investigates” coverage, leaving the insured to its own devices.

An unreasonable delay in paying policy benefits or paying less than the amount due is an actionable withholding of benefits which may constitute a breach of contract, as well as bad faith, giving rise to tort damages. Wilson v. 21st Century Ins. Co., 42 Cal. 4th 713, 720, 723 (2007);  Major v. Western Home Ins. Co., 169 Cal. App. 4th 1197, 1209 (2009).  The general measure of damages for breach of the duty to defend consists of the insured’s cost of defense in the underlying action, including attorney fees.  Major v. Western Home Ins. Co., 130 Cal. App. 4th 1078, 1088-1089 (2005).  Breach of the duty to defend also results in the insurer’s forfeiture of the right to control the defense of the action or settlement, including the ability to take advantage of the protections and limitations set forth in Civil Code section 2860.  Fuller-Austin Insulation Co. v. Highlands Ins. Co. 135 Cal. App. 4th 958, 984 (2006); Atmel Corp. v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 426 F.Supp. 2d 1039, 1047 (N.D. Cal. 2005).

An Insurer’s Right to Invoke Civil Code Section 2860 Fee Arbitration

Under Civil Code section 2860, when a liability insurer reserves its rights to contest coverage for a third party’s suit against its insured, and defense counsel could manipulate the suit in a way that could impair the insured’s coverage, section 2860 requires the insurer to pay for independent counsel to defend the suit.  For example, defense counsel may be in a position to hire expert witnesses with particular perspectives, and guide their testimony on issues such as when damage occurred or whether particular damage was expected or intended—steering claims in or out of coverage.  Notably, section 2860(c) limits the hourly rates that the insurer must pay independent counsel, and requires the insured to submit any fee dispute to binding arbitration.

An Insurer’s Unreasonable Delay Forfeits its Right to Invoke Civil Code Section 2860

In Intergulf, Intergulf developed a condominium project in San Diego, California. Intergulf was an additional insured on policies issued to one of its subcontractors by Interstate Fire & Casualty Company, a division of Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company.  The policies provided that Interstate had the right and duty to defend any lawsuit seeking damages because of property damage.  While Interstate’s policies were in effect, the homeowners association sued Intergulf for alleged construction defects.

Intergulf promptly tendered its defense to Interstate.  Two weeks later, Interstate responded, not with an acknowledgment of its defense obligation, but by requesting information and reserving all of its rights.  Interstate wrote that, if it determined it had a duty to participate in Intergulf’s defense, it would impose “litigation handling guidelines,” and it would typically not pay hourly rates of more than $ 150 for partners, $135 for associates, and $ 75 for paralegals.  Intergulf defended with its own counsel—Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, LLP—billing at a blended rate of $250 per hour.

Seven months later, Interstate finally informed Intergulf that Interstate recognized a “potential” for a defense obligation, but did not actually acknowledge either a duty to defend or coverage.  Interstate offered to “participate” in the defense of Intergulf through the firm of Wood, Smith Henning & Berman.  Intergulf objected that Interstate’s reservation of rights created a conflict of interest for the Wood Smith firm, and demanded the appointment of its own independent counsel under section 2860.

Intergulf then asked Interstate to reimburse its out-of-pocket defense fees and costs.  No response.  About a month later, Intergulf asked again.  No response.  Approximately one year after it had tendered its defense, Intergulf had neither a commitment to defend with conflict-free counsel nor any reimbursement for outstanding defense fees and costs from Interstate.  Intergulf then sued Interstate for breach of the duty to defend, bad faith, and declaratory relief.  Two months after Intergulf filed suit, Interstate made a first payment of approximately $ 140,000; nine months later, Interstate made a second payment of approximately $ 98,000.

Five weeks before the scheduled trial, Interstate filed a petition to compel arbitration of what it characterized as a section 2860 fee dispute.  Intergulf responded that the case was about the contract and tort damages that Interstate owed for breaching its duty to defend—not about a fee dispute.  It argued that because the questions of Interstate’s duty to defend, conflict of interest, and bad faith had not been resolved, Interstate did not satisfy the prerequisites for arbitration under section 2860(c).  The trial court, however, granted Interstate’s petition to compel arbitration and continued the trial, pending completion of  arbitration.

Intergulf challenged the trial court’s ruling by filing a petition for writ of mandate.  The appellate court summarily denied the petition. The Supreme Court granted Intergulf’s petition for review and transferred the matter back to the appellate court with directions to vacate the order denying mandate and issue an order to show cause why the relief sought should not be granted.

The appellate court agreed with Intergulf that the gravamen of the complaint was bad faith and breach of contract, not a dispute over the amount Interstate should pay independent counsel under section 2860(c).  By filing the action for breach of contract, bad faith, and declaratory relief, Intergulf gave Interstate notice that it was treating Interstate’s failure to acknowledge Intergulf’s right to independent counsel and delay in paying policy benefits as a total breach of the duty to defend.  Intergulf  at *2-3, citing  Coughlin v. Blair, 41 Cal. 2d 587, 599 (1953) (filing suit gave defendant notice that plaintiff viewed its failure to perform as a total breach of contract); and Sackett v. Spindler, 248 Cal. App. 2d 220, 229-230 (1967)(seller could treat persistent delay in payment for stock as total breach of the purchase agreement).

Intergulf’s entitlement to damages for breach of contract and bad faith turned on (i) whether Interstate owed Intergulf a duty to defend in the first instance; and (ii) whether Interstate breached that duty by failing to defend Intergulf “immediately” and “entirely” on tender of the defense.  Intergulf  at *3, citing  Buss v. Superior Court, supra, 16 Cal. 4th at 49; and Montrose Chemical Corp., supra, 6 Cal. 4th at 295.  Neither of these questions had been resolved at the time the court granted Interstate’s petition to compel binding arbitration of the purported fee dispute pursuant to section 2860(c).

As the appellate court noted, ordering fee arbitration under section 2860 under these circumstances puts the cart before the horse. If Intergulf proves that Interstate breached the duty to defend or committed bad faith by failing to acknowledge Intergulf’s right to independent counsel or failing to immediately and fully fund its defense, Interstate forfeits its right to limit defense fees and costs under section 2860(c) fee arbitration.  Instead, a jury could award contract and tort damages in the trial court.  Intergulf at *4.  The appellate court issued a peremptory writ of mandate directing the trial court to vacate its order granting Interstate’s petition to compel arbitration under section 2860(c), and to enter an order denying the petition to compel arbitration.

Sound Public Policy

The appellate court’s decision is based on sound public policy.  If an insurer could delay a full and immediate defense for its insured, and then run for cover under section 2860’s rate limits and binding arbitration, it would have an incentive to fabricate a Cumis conflict, comforted by the knowledge that the attorney fee element of its insured’s damages would be limited by Cumis rates, claim management protocols, and binding arbitration, instead of being tried to a jury.  The insured’s right to have a jury determine breach and damages is fundamental to enforcing the insurer’s duty to provide a full and immediate defense.

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20321 SW Birch St #200
Newport Beach, CA 92660
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