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

  • Consultants Should Be Aware Of DOJ's Potential New Reach

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent first-of-its-kind settlement with McKinsey & Co. indicates not only the DOJ's more aggressive stance toward businesses' potential criminal wrongdoings, but also the benefits of self-disclosure and cooperation when wrongdoing becomes apparent, says Dom Caamano at Kibler Fowler.

  • Health Tech Regulatory Trends To Watch In 2025

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    With an upcoming change in administration and the release of some long-awaited rules, the healthcare industry should prepare for shifting trends, including a growing focus on health data and interest in technology-enabled delivery of healthcare, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • 10 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2024

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    In a banner year for consumer finance regulation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made significant strides in its efforts to rein in Big Tech and nonbank financial firms, including via rules regarding open banking, credit card late fees, and buy now, pay later products, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • The Future Of GLP-1 Policy After Drug Shortage Ends

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    If and when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines that GLP-1 RA drugs are no longer in short supply, regulators will face questions of how to balance access to GLP-1 RAs with statutory and policy considerations applicable to compounded drugs, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Top 10 Whistleblowing And Retaliation Events Of 2024

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    From a Florida federal court’s ruling that the False Claims Act’s qui tam provision is unconstitutional to a record-breaking number of whistleblower tips filed with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, employers saw significant developments in the federal and state whistleblower landscapes this year, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • How White Collar Defense Attys Can Use Summary Witnesses

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    Few criminal defense attorneys have successfully utilized summary witnesses in the past, but several recent success stories show that it can be a worthwhile trial tactic to help juries understand the complex decision-making at issue, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Nutraceutical Patent Insights As Market Heats Up

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    Companies entering the expanding nutraceutical market and seeking patents to protect their innovations should evaluate successful nutraceutical claim language and common patent challenges in this field, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

  • How White Collar Attys Can Use Mythic Archetypes At Trial

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    A careful reading of a classic screenwriting guide shows that fairy tales and white collar trials actually have a lot in common, and defense attorneys would do well to tell a hero’s journey at trial, relying on universal character archetypes to connect with the jury, says Jack Sharman at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • What 2024 Election Means For Drugs, Medicare And Medicaid

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    With Republicans running the White House, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, the incoming administration is likely to provide pathways — through new initiatives and others returning from Trump's previous presidency — for a range of potential changes to drug pricing, Medicare and Medicaid, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Justices Mull Sex-Based Classification In Trans Law Case

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in U.S. v. Skrmetti this week, it appears that the fate of the Tennessee law at the center of the case — a law banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender adolescents — will hinge on whether the majority read the statute as imposing a sex-based classification, says Alexandra Crandall at Dickinson Wright.

  • Key Takeaways From FDA's Latest Social Media Warnings

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's latest untitled letter concerning a drug company's social media promotion provides lessons for how companies should navigate risk presentation, FDA labeling requirements and superiority claims, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Rank-And-File DOJ Attorneys Will Keep Calm And Carry On

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    Career prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice often pride themselves on their ability to remain apolitical in order to ensure consistency and keep the department’s mission afloat, and the incoming Trump administration is unlikely to upend this tradition, says Michael Landman at Bird Marella.

  • Unpacking Arguments From High Court's Rural Hospital Case

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    During oral arguments in Advocate v. Becerra, the U.S. Supreme Court justices focused questions on the meaning of being "entitled to" supplementary security income assistance, and there's reason for optimism that the likely split decision will break in favor of hospitals, say attorneys at King & Spalding.