Sprint - Nextel 2011 Annual Report Download - page 200

may require that any claim for benefits and any request for a review of a denied claim be filed on forms to be furnished by the BAC
upon request.
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(b) All decisions on claims and on requests for a review of denied claims shall be made by the BAC unless delegated as provide
d
for in the Plan Statement, in which case references in this Section 8 to the BAC shall be treated as references to the BAC's
delegate.
(c) The BAC may, in its discretion, hold one or more hearings on a claim or a request for a review of a denied claim.
(d) The decision of the BAC on a claim and on a request for a review of denied claim may be provided to the claimant in
electronic form instead of in writing at the discretion of the BAC.
(e) A claimant may be represented by a lawyer or other authorized representative (at the claimant's own expense), but the BAC
reserves the right to require the claimant to furnish written authorization. A claimant's representative shall be entitled to copies
of all notices given to the claimant.
(f) In connection with the review of a denied claim, the claimant or the claimant's representative shall be provided, upon request
and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents, records, and other information relevant to the claimant's
claim for benefits.
(g) The time period within which a benefit determination will be made shall begin to run at the time a claim or request for review
is filed in accordance with the claims procedures, without regard to whether all the information necessary to make a benefit
determination accompanies the filing.
(h) For the purposes of this Section, a document, record, or other information shall be considered "relevant" if such document,
record, or other information: (i) was relied upon in making the benefit determination; (ii) was submitted, considered, o
r
generated in the course of making the benefit determination, without regard to whether such document, record, or othe
r
information was relied upon in making the benefit determination; (iii) demonstrates compliance with the administrative
p
rocesses and safeguards designed to ensure that the benefit claim determination was made in accordance with the governing
p
lan documents and that, where appropriate, the Plan Statement provisions have been applied consistently with respect to
similarly situated claimants; and (iv) constitutes a statement of policy or guidance with respect to the Plan concerning the
denied treatment option or benefit for the claimant's diagnosis, without regard to whether such advice or statement was relie
d
upon in making the benefit determination.
(i) The BAC may, in its discretion, rely on any applicable statute of limitation or deadline as a basis for denial of any claim.