Policy & Compliance

  • February 13, 2026

    States' Generic Drugs Antitrust Case Headed Toward Trial

    A Connecticut federal judge has mostly refused to side with pharmaceutical companies facing states' generic drug price-fixing litigation against them, ruling that there are genuine disputes of material fact as to drug distribution chains and the states' antitrust standing and teeing up the case for trial.

  • February 13, 2026

    Docs Urge Judge To Block CDC's Childhood Vaccine Changes

    Doctors organizations Friday urged a Massachusetts federal judge to stop the government from implementing its new, shorter list of recommended vaccines for children and prevent the next meeting of a committee they say has been tainted by anti-vaccine influence.

  • February 13, 2026

    Iowa AG Urges 8th Circ. To Unblock Parts Of State PBM Law

    The state of Iowa urged the Eighth Circuit on Friday to lift a preliminary block on parts of a law limiting pharmacy benefit managers' power to set drug prices in the Hawkeye State, arguing a lower court judge erred in holding that parts of the policy were federally preempted.

  • February 13, 2026

    Breast Surgery Patients Want ERISA Class Cert. Rethink

    A United Healthcare plan member asked a New Jersey federal judge to rethink her decision denying class certification in a suit alleging the insurer systematically refused to cover postmastectomy breast reconstruction claims, arguing the court overlooked evidence showing that common issues could be resolved on a classwide basis.

  • February 13, 2026

    FDA Removes Boxed Warnings From HRT Products

    Six menopause hormone therapies will no longer have warnings on their label about heart disease, breast cancer and dementia, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it removed them so that women can make decisions "free from exaggeration or fear."

  • February 12, 2026

    Trump Admin. Blocked From Cutting $600M In Health Funding

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating more than $600 million in public health funding to four Democratic-led states, saying the states will likely succeed in showing they are unconstitutionally being targeted due to political or policy objectives.

  • February 12, 2026

    Feds Charge 2 Foreign Nationals Over $10M Healthcare Fraud

    Federal officials in Chicago announced healthcare fraud charges Thursday against two natives of Pakistan who allegedly made $10 million by using fake medical companies to submit Medicare and other health benefit claims for items and services they never provided.

  • February 12, 2026

    DC Circ. Judge Rips Into Insurer In CMS Rating Case

    A Louisiana insurer found a tough critic in one D.C. Circuit judge Thursday as it argued that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services used an unfair method to assess its "star ratings" for insurance plans, with the jurist saying the company seemed like it "just wanted whatever interpretation will give you a higher score."

  • February 12, 2026

    Ex-Pharma Exec Fights AGs' Quick Win Bid In Antitrust Case

    A former pharmaceutical marketing executive urged a Connecticut federal court to reject summary judgment sought against him by state attorneys general pursuing wider price-fixing litigation against most of the generic drug industry, arguing key cooperating witnesses' questionable credibility makes a trial necessary.

  • February 12, 2026

    Goodwin Expands Healthcare Team With Ex-Reed Smith Atty

    A healthcare attorney specializing in guiding clients through regulatory and transactional matters has moved her practice to Goodwin Procter LLP's Philadelphia office after more than 11 years with Reed Smith LLP.

  • February 11, 2026

    AbbVie Sues Medicaid, HHS Over Botox Fair Price Controls

    AbbVie Inc. on Wednesday asked a D.C. federal court to block the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from controlling the price of Botox under the Inflation Reduction Act, arguing the cosmetic drug and migraine treatment should be excluded from the controls because it's a "plasma-derived" product.

  • February 11, 2026

    Ex-Lt. Col. Sues Hegseth Over Son's Benefits Denial

    A former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel sued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Defense Health Agency on Wednesday, alleging his son was wrongfully denied health care coverage for continued inpatient mental health treatment, leaving in limbo more than $270,000 in costs. 

  • February 11, 2026

    Anesthesia Group Looks To End FTC Rollup Suit

    U.S. Anesthesia Partners has urged a Texas federal court to end the Federal Trade Commission's case accusing the group of buying competing practices through a so-called rollup strategy, asserting that enforcers have no evidence of any harm to competition.

  • February 11, 2026

    Judge Won't Review Tossed ERISA Claim In Benefits Dispute

    An Ohio federal court refused Wednesday to reconsider a recent decision dismissing a woman's Employee Retirement Income Security Act claims against her husband's employer and several UnitedHealth Group Inc. companies that administered the couple's employee health benefits.

  • February 11, 2026

    HHS Says RFK Jr. Trans Care Policy View Not Legally Binding

    Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s declaration supporting the Trump administration's move to cut funding to hospitals that provide gender-affirming care is a nonbinding policy view, his agency told an Oregon federal court, and doesn't trigger provider exclusions from federal health programs.

  • February 11, 2026

    Organ Donor Network Must Face Veteran's Waitlist Bias Suit

    A Black veteran who alleges his kidney transplant timeline was delayed because the United Network for Organ Sharing artificially inflated his kidney function scores can proceed with his Title VI lawsuit, a Georgia federal judge ruled, denying the network's bid to have the suit tossed.

  • February 11, 2026

    Trans Health And Pediatric Groups Challenge FTC Subpoenas

    A major transgender medical group and a pediatric healthcare organization are seeking to end what they call "unlawful" consumer protection investigations from the Federal Trade Commission that want information pertaining to the medical groups' claims made in their marketing and advertising for gender-affirming care for minors. 

  • February 11, 2026

    Mass. AG Charges Medical Transport Co. With Billing Fraud

    A nonemergency medical transportation provider and its former owner are facing criminal charges for allegedly billing Massachusetts' Medicaid program for tens of thousands of fake rides and laundering the proceeds to accounts in Uganda, according to a Wednesday announcement.

  • February 11, 2026

    Kaiser Will Pay $30M To End DOL Mental Health Investigations

    Kaiser Permanente has agreed to fork over at least $30 million and change its practices to end multiple U.S. Department of Labor investigations into the adequacy of the healthcare organization's mental health and substance use disorder treatment networks in California, the DOL said.

  • February 10, 2026

    US Says Abbott Lied, Must Repay Funds Spent On Formula

    Abbott Laboratories must face the federal government's lawsuit over the 2022 infant formula crisis caused by the discovery of potentially deadly bacteria in a facility that made baby formula, prosecutors told a Michigan federal court, saying the company "repeatedly lied" about the cleanliness of its plant.

  • February 10, 2026

    Ex-DOJ Fraud Prosecutors Launch DC White Collar Boutique

    Two former U.S. Department of Justice fraud prosecutors are opening their own Washington, D.C., boutique firm to represent clients in complex fraud and white collar cases, they said Tuesday.

  • February 10, 2026

    PBMs Enter New Era Of Legal Scrutiny

    The recent government funding bill includes extensive reforms for the embattled pharmacy benefit manager industry. It may presage a new wave of agency scrutiny, regulatory action and lawsuits, including from PBMs.

  • February 10, 2026

    Abortion Rules, Vaccine Recommendations And More In Court

    Abortion restrictions in Arizona are facing a new legal challenge, and an interstate clash over abortion pills is heating up. Here, Law360 Healthcare Authority takes a look at the week's top healthcare news.

  • February 10, 2026

    Wash. Panel Says Healthcare Cost-Share Group Is An Insurer

    A Utah-based healthcare cost-sharing nonprofit operates as and must register as an insurer under Washington state law, a state appeals panel ruled, upholding a $50,000 fine from the state's insurance commissioner that found the nonprofit ran afoul of Washington insurance law. 

  • February 10, 2026

    Pa. Emerges As Battleground Over State False Claims Laws

    Momentum is growing to pass a False Claims Act law in Pennsylvania, the most populous U.S. jurisdiction without one already on the books. It's also reigniting debate over the value of anti-fraud statutes around the country.

Expert Analysis

  • How Focus On Menopause Care Is Fueling Innovation, Access

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    Recent legislative developments concerning the growing field of menopause care are creating opportunities for increased investment and innovation in the space as they increase access to education and coverage, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • FDA Commissioner Speech Suggests New Vision For Agency

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    In his first public remarks as U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Marty Makary outlined an ambitious framework for change centered around cultural restoration, scientific integrity, regulatory flexibility and selective modernization, and substantial enforcement shifts for the food and tobacco sectors, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.

  • Customs Fraud Enforcement In The Age Of Tariffs

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    In the wake of the Trump administration’s new approach toward tariffs, two recent Justice Department developments demonstrate aggressive customs fraud enforcement, with the DOJ emphasizing competitive harm to American businesses, and signaling that investigations will likely involve both civil and criminal enforcement tools, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz and London & Naor.

  • Legal Risks For Providers Discussing Psychedelic Therapies

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    The emergence of psychedelic therapies as potential treatments for mental health conditions and other ailments continues to garner significant attention, but the legal landscape surrounding discussions and referrals remains fraught with complexity, creating potential risks for healthcare providers and institutions, says Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell.

  • How NY's FAIR Act Mirrors CFPB State Recommendations

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    New York's proposed FAIR Business Practices Act, which targets predatory lending and junk fees, reflects the Rohit Chopra-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recommendations to states in a number of ways, including by defining "abusive" conduct and adding a new right to file class actions, says Christian Hancock at Bradley Arant.

  • A Breakdown Of Trump's Order On Drug Pricing

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    The Trump administration may attempt to effectuate through rulemaking a recently issued executive order on lowering drug prices, which would likely have an adverse effect on stakeholders and trigger litigation, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Takeaways From DOJ's 1st Wage-Fixing Jury Conviction

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    U.S. v. Lopez marked the U.S. Department of Justice's first labor market conviction at trial as a Nevada federal jury found a home healthcare staffing executive guilty of wage-fixing and wire fraud, signaling that improper agreements risk facing successful criminal prosecution, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • Deregulation Memo Presents Risks, Opportunities For Cos.

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    A recent Trump administration memo providing direction to agencies tasked with rescinding regulations under an earlier executive order — without undergoing the typical notice-and-review process — will likely create much uncertainty for businesses, though they may be able to engage with agencies to shape the regulatory agenda, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • The IRS Shouldn't Go To War Over Harvard's Tax Exemption

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    If the Internal Revenue Service revokes Harvard's tax-exempt status for violating established public policy — a position unsupported by currently available information — the precedent set by surviving the inevitable court challenge could undercut the autonomy and distinctiveness of the charitable sector, says Johnny Rex Buckles at Houston Law Center.

  • New Hospice Regulations Should Enforce Core Principles

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    As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General prepares to research and expand on oversight of Medicare hospice care, the OIG should keep in mind certain core principles, such as an emphasis on preventing the entry of hospices that raise red flags, says Bill Dombi at Arnall Golden.

  • 7 Considerations For Conducting Drug Clinical Trials Abroad

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    With continuing cuts to U.S. Food and Drug Administration staffing motivating some pharmaceutical companies to consider developing drugs abroad, it's important to understand the additional risks and compliance requirements associated with conducting clinical studies in other countries, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Compliance Lessons From Warby Parker's HIPAA Fine

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' civil money penalty against Warby Parker highlights the emerging challenges that consumer-facing brands encounter when expanding into healthcare-adjacent sectors, with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance being a potential focus of regulatory attention, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling Is Latest Signal Of Shaky Qui Tam Landscape

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    In his recent concurring opinion in U.S. v. Peripheral Vascular Associates, a Fifth Circuit judge joined a growing list of jurists suggesting that the False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional, underscoring that acceptance of qui tam relators can no longer be taken for granted, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.