Policy & Compliance

  • September 22, 2025

    2nd Circ. Undoes $25M Restitution In Horse-Doping Case

    A veterinarian convicted of conspiracy in a sprawling horse-doping scheme has escaped $25 million in restitution and is also off the hook for the $10.3 million forfeiture of funds tied to the sale of undetectable, performance-enhancement drugs, the Second Circuit said Monday.

  • September 22, 2025

    Family Sues For $100M In Child's Hyperbaric Chamber Death

    The family of a 5-year-old boy who died in a hyperbaric chamber explosion in January sued the center that was treating the child and the manufacturer of the chamber for more than $100 million in damages Monday, alleging the Michigan clinic concealed the dangers of using the chamber. 

  • September 22, 2025

    Anthem's $12.9M ERISA Deal Clears First Hurdle

    A New York federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a nearly $12.9 million settlement resolving claims that Anthem wrongfully denied coverage for residential behavioral health treatment under employer-sponsored health plans.

  • September 22, 2025

    Mayo Clinic Can't Fully Nix Suit Over Withheld Benefits Info

    The Mayo Clinic and its benefits administrator can't entirely escape a worker's suit claiming they pushed her to work with pricey out-of-network providers and wouldn't provide reimbursement estimates, after a Minnesota federal judge said she supported some federal benefits law claims with enough detail to remain in court.

  • September 19, 2025

    Ga. Providers Seek Exit From 'Conspiratorial' BCBS Fraud Suit

    Healthcare consulting firm HaloMD and several providers urged a federal judge Friday to toss a lawsuit from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia accusing them of abusing a federal dispute resolution process for surprise medical bills, arguing the insurer's suit offers little more than "inflammatory, conspiratorial rhetoric."

  • September 19, 2025

    CDC Panel Urges Caution On COVID Vax, Punts On Hep B

    A panel of advisers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday voted unanimously to recommend that people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine this season do so only after discussing it with their health providers.

  • September 18, 2025

    Brothers Blame Associate For $90M HIV Drug Fraud Scheme

    Two Maryland brothers accused of selling $90 million worth of mislabeled HIV drugs told a Florida federal jury on Thursday that their charges stem from an associate hired for his pharmaceutical industry connections, but who instead lied about the medication's black market origins and told them it was purchased legitimately.

  • September 18, 2025

    Mich. Top Court To Weigh Medicare's Role In No-Fault Cases

    Michigan's highest court will weigh whether an injured driver who opted out of personal injury protection due to his Medicare coverage must offset his damages by billing the insurance program for accident-related medical expenses in a no-fault dispute. 

  • September 18, 2025

    HHS Shutters Miami Organ Donor Org. For 'Unsafe' Practices

    Federal health officials have decertified a Miami-based organ procurement organization that arranges organ donations after an investigation found a pattern of "unsafe" practices, marking the first time the federal government has revoked the certification of such a group, according to an announcement Thursday from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

  • September 18, 2025

    Elevance Won't Cover Zepbound To Treat Apnea, Patient Says

    Elevance Health, formerly known as Anthem Inc., arbitrarily excludes coverage of FDA-approved Zepbound to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and refuses to consider requests for exceptions by maintaining that the medication is for weight loss, alleges a proposed class action filed by an enrollee in Indiana federal court Tuesday.

  • September 18, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's Pick To Lead DOL Benefits Arm

    The Senate confirmed fiduciary liability insurance expert Daniel Aronowitz on Thursday to lead the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits division, which oversees regulation and enforcement of employer-provided health and retirement plans.

  • September 18, 2025

    Couple Slam NC Defense Attys In Hospital Negligence Appeal

    A couple pursuing negligence claims against a local hospital scoffed at the idea that they were lurking on the sidelines waiting to cash in on a favorable outcome in a similar case, telling the North Carolina appeals court to ignore an amicus brief by defense attorneys arguing as much.

  • September 18, 2025

    1st Circ. Won't Lift Block On HHS Job, Program Cuts

    The First Circuit on Wednesday rejected a bid by the Trump administration to let it move ahead with cutting 10,000 jobs and end a number of programs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services while it appeals a Rhode Island federal judge's order temporarily barring the plan.

  • September 18, 2025

    Withheld Email Not Enough To Revive Doc's Retaliation Suit

    A psychiatrist failed to convince the Second Circuit to reinstate his suit claiming a New York City-area hospital system forced him out because he raised patient safety concerns, with the appeals court saying he couldn't show the hospital's omission of an email during discovery was purposeful.

  • September 17, 2025

    J&J Whistleblowers Defend $1.6B False Claims Act Win

    Whistleblowers filed a brief Wednesday in the Third Circuit in a closely watched False Claims Act appeal involving a $1.6 billion judgment against Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen as well as the constitutionality of the FCA's "qui tam" whistleblower provisions, arguing that the act's lawfulness has been settled by its "unbroken 162-year history."

  • September 17, 2025

    FDA Says Vape Manufacturer Lying About Marketing Approval

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday sued manufacturers of flavored vapes in New Jersey federal court to seek an end to their sales, saying that they are falsely representing that their products had received marketing approval.

  • September 17, 2025

    3rd Circ. Weighs Limits On NJ Medical Aid In Dying Act

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday considered whether a Delaware woman with terminal cancer can challenge New Jersey's residency requirement for medical aid in dying, even though she has yet to be certified as having six months or less to live.

  • September 17, 2025

    Hospital Agrees To End Retirement Plan Fee, Investment Suit

    A New York hospital system told a federal court Wednesday it will end a proposed class action alleging it failed to remove underperforming investment options from its retirement plan and keep an eye on administrative costs, losing millions of dollars of employees' savings.

  • September 17, 2025

    Ex-CDC Head Says RFK Jr. Urged Vax Schedule Rubber Stamp

    Susan Monarez, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told federal lawmakers on Wednesday she was abruptly fired just weeks into her tenure for "holding the line on scientific integrity."

  • September 16, 2025

    Dr.'s COVID Falsehoods Are Free Speech, Wash. Panel Says

    A Washington state appeals court unanimously ruled Tuesday that the Washington Medical Commission overstepped its authority by punishing a doctor for COVID-19 falsehoods he published to his blog, but affirmed the commission's decision to discipline him for prescribing ivermectin to COVID-19 patients.

  • September 16, 2025

    Harborview Nurses In Ga. Score Collective Status In OT Suit

    A pair of nurses who worked at Harborview Health Systems' facility in Rome, Georgia, brought enough evidence to show they and other similarly situated nurses were subjected to pay practices that shorted them on overtime wages to proceed as a collective action, a New York magistrate judge said Tuesday.

  • September 16, 2025

    Merck Says Vaccine Case 'Poor Vehicle' For Antitrust Review

    Merck & Co. told the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a bid from physicians looking to revive antitrust claims over submissions the pharmaceutical giant made to federal regulators concerning its mumps vaccine, arguing that the case is "an exceptionally poor vehicle" for review.

  • September 16, 2025

    FTC Ends Director Overlap In Healthcare Space

    The Federal Trade Commission said three members of Sevita Health's board of directors resigned after enforcers flagged an overlap with the board of a competing provider of specialty healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

  • September 16, 2025

    Oregon Joins Expansion Of '5NP' Acupuncture Practice

    Oregon has joined a number of states that have enacted laws that make it easier for people to get a "five needle" therapy with a raft of mental health benefits, including reduced substance withdrawal symptoms.

  • September 16, 2025

    The Limits On Blue States' Push For Vaccine Policy Control

    Democratic-run states are changing vaccine policies as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump health officials move to restrict vaccine access, creating a new policy patchwork. Those state efforts can only go so far, healthcare experts say.

Expert Analysis

  • Tips For Pharma-Biotech Overlap Reporting In New HSR Form

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    While there’s no secret recipe for reporting overlaps to the Federal Trade Commission in the new Hart-Scott-Rodino Act form, there are several layers of considerations for all pharma-biotech companies and counsel to reflect on internally before reporting on any deal, say attorneys at A&O Shearman.

  • A Look At Drug Price Negotiation Program's Ongoing Impact

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    More than two years after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the rapid implementation of the drug price negotiation program, attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss how the IRA has influenced licensing strategies, and how maximum fair prices under the law have economically affected certain drugs.

  • Preparing For A Possible End To The Subminimum Wage

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    The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule to end the subminimum wage for employees with disabilities may significantly affect the community-based rehabilitation and training programs that employ these workers, so certified programs should be especially vigilant about compliance during this period of evaluation and scrutiny, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Drug Pricing Policy Trends To Expect In 2025 And Beyond

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    Though 2025 may bring more of the same in the realm of drug pricing policy, business as usual entails a sustained, high level of legal and policy developments across at least six major areas, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Top 10 Healthcare And Life Sciences Issues To Watch In 2025

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    Under the new Trump administration, this coming year may benefit some healthcare and life sciences stakeholders, while creating new challenges for others amid an increasingly complex regulatory environment, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 4 Keys To Litigating In An Active Regulatory Environment

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    For companies facing litigation influenced by government regulatory action — a recent trend that a politically charged atmosphere will exacerbate — there are a few principles that can help to align litigation strategy with broader public positioning in the regulatory and oversight context, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • How Views On Healthcare Price Transparency Are Changing

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    Regulators' attitudes toward price transparency regulation have shifted over the past several years in ways that may seem contradictory, and research into detailed rate information published by hospitals and health plans has yielded mixed results, says Matthew List at Charles River Associates.

  • EEOC Wearable Tech Guidance Highlights Monitoring Scrutiny

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent fact sheet on wearable technologies cautions against potential issues with federal anti-discrimination laws and demonstrates growing concern from regulators and legislators about intrusive technologies in the workplace, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Navigating The Potential End Of GLP-1 Drug Shortages

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's determination of whether GLP-1 products are in shortage may affect how compounders provide these products and spur a range of litigation including patent disputes and unfair competition suits, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Politicized OIGs Could Target Federal Employees, Contractors

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    After President Donald Trump fired nearly 20 inspectors general last week, it’s worth exploring how the administration could use Offices of Inspectors General to target federal employees and contractors, why it would be difficult to fight this effort, and one possible bulwark against the politicization of these watchdogs, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.

  • Takeaways From DOJ Fraud Section's 2024 Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Paul Weiss highlight notable developments in the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section’s recently released annual report, and discuss what the second Trump administration could mean for enforcement in the year to come.

  • IVF Suits Highlight Need For Better Legal Frameworks

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    The high number of in vitro fertilization embryo losses underscores the need for more cohesive legal and regulatory guidance related to human errors, property versus personhood, and liability, says Jeff Korek at Gersowitz Libo.

  • Takeaways From FDA's Updated Confirmatory Trial Guidance

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's latest draft guidance about accelerated drug approval indicates the FDA's intent to address the significant lag time between accelerated approval and full approval of drugs and may help motivate the industry to complete confirmatory trials, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.