Policy & Compliance

  • April 08, 2026

    AstraZeneca Wants 25 Opt-Ins Axed From Pay Bias Suit

    More than two dozen women refused to take part in required discovery and should be removed from a collective action accusing AstraZeneca of paying female pharmaceutical sales representatives less than men, the company told an Illinois federal court.

  • April 08, 2026

    Whistleblower, Healthcare Operator End Retaliation Suit

    A nursing home administrator who participated in a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development whistleblower investigation into alleged false payment claims and a healthcare facility operator agreed to end a lawsuit over his firing, according to a stipulation filed in Colorado federal court Wednesday.

  • April 08, 2026

    Faegre Drinker Hires 2 Venable FDA Partners In DC

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has hired two attorneys from Venable LLP who joined that firm in 2023 and focus their practices on helping clients understand U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory frameworks, the firm announced Wednesday.

  • April 08, 2026

    HIV, AIDS Patients End Disability Bias Suit With CVS

    CVS Pharmacy Inc. and a group of HIV and AIDS patients have agreed to wrap up a suit claiming the company made it harder for them to get their medication in violation of disability discrimination law, according to a California federal court filing.

  • April 07, 2026

    Calif. Dialysis Bill Violates 1st Amendment, 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday struck down provisions of a California law that aims to restrict dialysis providers' ability to profit from patients receiving health insurance premium assistance from nonprofit charities, ruling in a published opinion that the provisions violated nonprofit American Kidney Fund's and dialysis providers' First Amendment rights.

  • April 07, 2026

    Pa. Hospitals Accuse Aetna Of Underpaying Medicare Claims

    Two Pennsylvania hospital operators have sued Aetna Health Inc. in federal court, alleging the insurer has been improperly denying Medicare Advantage claims for inpatient services, or underpaying, under a new policy.

  • April 07, 2026

    Insurer Premera Accuses Clinic Of Misusing No Surprises Act

    Premera Blue Cross sued a weight loss clinic on Monday in Washington federal court saying it abused a federal law aimed at safeguarding patients from unexpected medical bills in order to shake down the insurer for exorbitant amounts of money — as much as 10 times what Premera pays in-network providers.

  • April 07, 2026

    Acadia Still On Hook For $9M Rehab Death Negligence Verdict

    A California state appeals court on Tuesday affirmed a more than $9 million jury verdict against Acadia Healthcare Co. Inc. in a suit stemming from the death of a patient at one of its addiction treatment centers, saying there was substantial evidence that the Marin County facility was negligently understaffed.

  • April 07, 2026

    HHS Must Face States' Suit Over RFK's 'Dramatic Overhaul'

    A Rhode Island federal judge rejected Tuesday the government's bid to toss a group of states' lawsuit challenging Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "dramatic overhaul" of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, criticizing the government for rehashing jurisdictional arguments the court already rejected and finding the states' claims are plausible.

  • April 07, 2026

    Minn. Can't Unfreeze $243M In Medicaid Funds, Judge Says

    A Minnesota federal judge on Monday denied the state's preliminary injunction request to release $243 million in Medicaid funds deferred by the federal government during a fraud investigation, holding that the "unprecedented" size and scope of the deferral action doesn't mean the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services isn't legally cleared to pursue the action.

  • April 07, 2026

    3 Healthcare Decisions You May Have Missed This Week

    A proposed class of HIV and AIDS patients is dropping their disability bias lawsuit, the Third Circuit on a COVID-era fraudster sentence, and Aetna escapes a testing payment lawsuit. Law360 Healthcare Authority looks at three decisions you may have missed.

  • April 07, 2026

    Judge Questions FTC's Motive In Gender-Care Probe

    A federal judge in Washington said Tuesday he would have to balance any legitimate concerns about parents and children being misled on the issue of gender-affirming care with what appeared to be retaliatory motives behind Federal Trade Commission investigative demands to a pair of nonprofits.

  • April 07, 2026

    HHS Staff Changes Likely To Lead To Uncertain 2026

    Healthcare experts are keeping a close eye on personnel changes at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Law360 Healthcare Authority looks at how they could affect key agency policies.

  • April 07, 2026

    Mich. AG Says PBMs Can't Stall Discovery In Drug-Pricing Suit

    Michigan's attorney general is urging a federal court to reject a renewed bid by pharmacy benefit managers to pause discovery in an antitrust case accusing them of price-fixing reimbursement rates, claiming the companies are relying on exaggerated burden claims and an ordinary motion to dismiss that is unlikely to succeed.

  • April 07, 2026

    DC Circ. Skeptical Ex-Steward CEO Could Skip Senate Hearing

    A D.C. Circuit judge told the attorney for the embattled former CEO of Steward Health Care on Tuesday that she couldn't comprehend how his client could invoke his Fifth Amendment rights without showing up to his scheduled appearance before a Senate committee.

  • April 07, 2026

    High Court Ruling Won't End 'Conversion Therapy' Battles

    The U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of Colorado's ban on what is commonly known as gay conversion therapy may have rendered dozens of similar laws toothless, but don't expect it to be the end of legal challenges in this arena.

  • April 07, 2026

    Jury Awards $39.5M Over Discharged Psych Patient's Victims

    A Philadelphia jury on Tuesday hit a healthcare management company and a Pennsylvania hospital with a $39.5 million verdict, finding them liable for the deaths of four people who were murdered by a family member who was discharged from a psychiatric unit that failed to submit paperwork that would have prevented him from purchasing the gun he used to kill them.

  • April 06, 2026

    RFK Jr. Tweaks HHS Vaccine Policy Panel Membership Criteria

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making changes to a key federal vaccine advisory panel's charter, according to a renewal notice the agency published Monday, after a Massachusetts federal judge last month declared Kennedy's committee picks "appear distinctly unqualified."

  • April 06, 2026

    Anthem Owes $2.1M For No Surprises Act Awards, Court Told

    Two medical providers said Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield owes them a combined $2.1 million for medically necessary services rendered to its insured members, telling a Colorado state court that the carrier is wrongfully withholding payment despite losing multiple federal arbitration proceedings.

  • April 06, 2026

    Biz Groups Urge 4th Circ. To End Allergan Overcharge Suit

    Major pharmaceutical and business associations urged the Fourth Circuit to reconsider a panel decision that revived a whistleblower lawsuit accusing an Allergan Sales LLC predecessor of overcharging Medicaid, warning it threatens to become a road map for False Claims Act abuses.

  • April 06, 2026

    Splenda Loses Bid To End Scientist's Libel Counterclaim

    The maker of Splenda lost its bid for a pretrial win on a scientist's counterclaims for libel after a North Carolina federal judge on Monday ruled they weren't filed too late because the counterclaims are directly linked to the company's defamation suit challenging her statements linking Splenda to cancer-causing chemicals.

  • April 06, 2026

    1st Circ. Suggests It May Resurrect AdTech Wiretap Case

    A panel of the First Circuit appeared receptive Monday to reinstating federal wiretap claims leveled against a Massachusetts healthcare system over its use of online tracking tools, despite arguments that such a ruling could cripple the industry amid an influx of similar cases nationwide.

  • April 06, 2026

    Cleary FCA Task Force Head On Enforcement Trends To Watch

    Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, who now leads a False Claims Act task force at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, is predicting a continued surge in enforcement as the Trump administration wields the law in new ways.

  • April 06, 2026

    Mass. Justices Hint Insurer Owes Defense In Doc's Discipline

    An allegation that a Massachusetts doctor prescribed addictive medications to manipulate a patient into a sexual relationship could be enough to trigger a malpractice insurer's duty to defend him in a disciplinary proceeding launched years later over other alleged misconduct, justices on the state's highest court hinted Monday.

  • April 06, 2026

    WilmerHale Adds Regulatory Atty From Mayer Brown In DC

    WilmerHale announced Monday it has hired a veteran U.S. Food and Drug Administration and life sciences regulatory attorney from Mayer Brown LLP.

Expert Analysis

  • A Shifting Trend In FDA Form 483 Disclosure Obligations

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    A New York federal court's Checkpoint Therapeutics decision extends a recent streak of dismissals of securities class actions alleging that pharmaceutical companies failed to disclose U.S. Food and Drug Administration Form 483 inspection reports, providing critical guidance for companies during the FDA approval process, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • The Future Of Lab-Test Regs After FDA Rescinds Rule

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently rescinded its laboratory-developed tests rule in response to a Texas federal court decision this spring, reinforcing a separation of authority between the FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and calling into question the FDA's role in overseeing such tests without congressional action, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Unpacking Ore. Law's Limits On PE Healthcare Investment

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    A recent Oregon law imposes significant restrictions on nonphysicians owning or controlling medical practices, but newly enacted amendments provide some additional flexibility in certain ownership arrangements without scuttling the law's intent of addressing concerns about the rise of private equity investment in healthcare, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Criminal Healthcare Fraud Takeaways From 4th Circ. Reversal

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    After the Fourth Circuit reversed a doctor’s postconviction acquittal in U.S. v. Elfenbein last month, defense attorneys should consider three strategies when handling complex criminal healthcare matters, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • AG Watch: Texas Embraces The MAHA Movement

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    Attorneys at Kelley Drye examine Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's actions related to the federal Make America Healthy Again movement, and how these actions hinge on representations or omissions by the target companies as opposed to specific analyses of the potential health risks.

  • How States Are Regulating Health Insurers' AI Usage

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    The absence of a federal artificial intelligence framework positions states as key regulators of health insurers’ AI use, making it important for payors and service providers to understand the range of state AI legislation being passed in California and elsewhere, and consider implementing an AI-focused compliance infrastructure, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • HHS Plan To Cut Immigrant Benefits Spurs Provider Questions

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    A recent notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identifying new federal public benefit programs for which nonqualified aliens are not eligible may have a major impact on entities that participate in these programs — but many questions remain unanswered, say attorneys at Foley.

  • Noncompete Forecast Shows Tough Weather For Employers

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    Several new state noncompete laws signal rough conditions for employers, particularly in the healthcare sector, so employers must account for employees' geographic circumstances as they cannot rely solely on choice-of-law clauses, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • Previewing State Efforts To Regulate Mental Health Chatbots

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    New York, Nevada and Utah have all recently enacted laws regulating the use of artificial intelligence to deliver mental health services, offering early insights into how other states may regulate this area, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • How DOJ's New Data Security Rules Leave HIPAA In The Dust

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently effective data security requirements carry profound implications for how healthcare providers collect, store, share and use data — and approach vendor oversight — that go far beyond the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • Texas Med Spas Must Prepare For 2 New State Laws

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    Two new laws in Texas — regulating elective intravenous therapy and reforming healthcare noncompetes — mark a pivotal shift in the regulatory framework for medical spas in the state, which must proactively adapt their operations and contractual practices, says Brad Cook at Munsch Hardt.

  • DOJ-HHS Collab Crystallizes Focus On Health Enforcement

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    The recently announced partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to combat False Claims Act violations, following a multiyear trend of high-dollar DOJ recoveries, signals a long-term enforcement horizon with major implications for healthcare entities and whistleblowers, say attorneys at RJO.

  • How The Healthline Privacy Settlement Redefines Ad Tech Use

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    The Healthline settlement is the first time California has drawn a clear line in the sand around how website tracking must function in practice, so if your site uses tracking technologies, especially around sensitive content like health or finance, regulators are inspecting your website's back end, not just its banner, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.