Policy & Compliance

  • May 07, 2026

    AstraZeneca Reps Fight To Keep Opt-Ins In Pay Bias Suit

    Female pharmaceutical sales representatives in an AstraZeneca equal pay suit have urged an Illinois federal court to reject the company's bid to dismiss two dozen opt-in plaintiffs for refusing discovery, saying the women feared retaliation and career consequences.

  • May 07, 2026

    Hospital Suspects DOJ Is Forum Shopping For Trans Records

    Children's Hospital of Philadelphia asked a federal judge this week to reassert control over the U.S. Department of Justice's demand for records of gender-affirming care, fearing the government's withdrawal of its local appeal and a case filed against another hospital in Texas portended "forum shopping" for a friendlier court.

  • May 07, 2026

    Harvard Pilgrim Sued Over 'Ghost' Mental Health Network

    Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and its parent company have lured subscribers with a "ghost network" of mental health providers who are frequently out of network, don't accept the insurance or are not taking new patients, according to a proposed class action filed in Massachusetts state court.

  • May 06, 2026

    Calif. Justices Seem Divided On Gilead HIV Negligence Claim

    The California Supreme Court appeared split Wednesday over whether Gilead should face a negligence claim for allegedly withholding a safer HIV drug from the market to maximize profits from an older drug with more harmful side effects. 

  • May 06, 2026

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Hospital Workers' Vaccine Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit refused Wednesday to reopen a religious bias lawsuit accusing a Washington hospital of unlawfully denying employees' requests to avoid a COVID-19 vaccination mandate, finding that the medical center demonstrated that exemptions would've been too burdensome under a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

  • May 06, 2026

    Nursing Home Co. Can't Stave Off EEOC Harassment Trial

    A nursing facility operator can't dodge a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it fired an employee for complaining that her boss sexually harassed her, an Illinois federal judge said Wednesday, ruling a jury needs to assess whether the business acted out of retaliation.

  • May 05, 2026

    DC Circ. Judge Jabs Pharma Atty For 10 Minutes In Price Fight

    The first D.C. Circuit showdown in widespread drug pricing litigation Tuesday appeared unlikely to deliver a badly needed win to the pharmaceutical industry, as a top manufacturer's attorney faced a cool reception generally and an extended barrage of skepticism from one judge.

  • May 05, 2026

    Ex-CEO Gets 5 Years In Prison For $212.5M Fraud Case

    A New Jersey federal judge on Tuesday sentenced the former CEO of a now-defunct medical billing company to five years in prison, the statutory maximum penalty, for his role in a $212.5 million scheme to inflate the value of his company to defraud investors.

  • May 05, 2026

    ERISA Recap: 5 Litigation Developments From April

    The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a bakery company's bid for review of a union multiemployer pension withdrawal bill, the Fourth Circuit held a bonus plan was exempt from federal benefits law, and the Sixth Circuit ruled federal law preempted Arkansas pharmacy benefit manager laws and regulations. Here's more on those and two other major decisions from April that benefits attorneys may want to know.

  • May 05, 2026

    Wash. Panel Revives GLP-1 Health Plan Coverage Fight

    A Washington state appeals court revived a proposed class action by state employees alleging their benefit plan discriminatorily barred health coverage for GLP-1 medications treating obesity, finding a lower court should have allowed the case to proceed to discovery.

  • May 05, 2026

    Mylan Strikes $4.5M Deal With Maryland Over EpiPen Pricing

    Mylan Pharmaceuticals will pay $4.5 million to resolve allegations by the state of Maryland that Mylan acted anticompetitively when it ratcheted up costs of its portable auto-injectable EpiPen device that's used during life-threatening allergic reaction episodes, according to a recent announcement.

  • May 05, 2026

    RFK Jr. To Target 'Overmedicalization' Of Mental Health Drugs

    Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is moving to tackle the "overmedicalization" of widely used mental health drugs and create pathways to encourage doctors to taper patients off of the treatments.

  • May 05, 2026

    Calif. Justices To Weigh Gilead Negligence Claim In HIV Suit

    A case before the California Supreme Court this week involving Gilead and HIV medications may create a new standard for negligence claims when a company fails to market a better drug.

  • May 05, 2026

    Ga. Panel Weighs Evidence Rules In Parents' Bid For New Trial

    The Georgia Court of Appeals considered whether a new trial is warranted in a couple's case alleging that a doctor's negligence led to the death of their infant son nine days after birth, questioning attorneys Tuesday on the appropriate standard for what is known as "habit" testimony.

  • May 05, 2026

    Clarity or Corporate Secret? Battle Brews Over FDA Letters

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is under pressure to roll back a new transparency policy or prepare to defend it in court.

  • May 05, 2026

    Health Bills To Know This Week: Drug Pricing, AI And Abortion

    Law360 Healthcare Authority looks at a proposal to create a prescription drug affordability board in Virginia, legislation enacted in Maine establishing boundaries on the use of artificial intelligence in mental health care, and other legislative developments impacting the healthcare industry this week.

  • May 05, 2026

    Sandoz, Novartis Must Face Generics Claims From GM, Others

    A Pennsylvania federal judge largely refused to let dozens of generic-drug makers duck stand-alone price-fixing and market allocation antitrust claims from major employers like General Motors, American Airlines and Lowe's, nixing allegations against a small handful while importantly preserving them against Novartis and its former Sandoz subsidiary.

  • May 05, 2026

    Sponsor Suit Moot After Immigrant Kids Released, Feds Say

    The Trump administration asked a D.C. federal judge to dismiss a suit challenging requirements for previously approved sponsors to reapply for custody of unaccompanied immigrant children, arguing the suit's claims are either moot or unfounded.

  • May 05, 2026

    High Court Clarity On Subpoenas Creates Murky Path For AGs

    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision that the New Jersey Attorney General's Office infringed free speech by asking an anti-abortion nonprofit to release donor names gives nonprofits and companies more leverage for challenging subpoenas at the outset, although the question remains if and how attorneys general and other enforcers can ultimately obtain sought-after information following a constitutional affront.

  • May 04, 2026

    Hospital Can't Sink EEOC Disability Bias Suit Over Vax Allergy

    An Illinois federal judge declined Monday to toss a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging a hospital fired an employee for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccine mandate after she had an allergic reaction to the medicine, stating her allergy could count as a disability.

  • May 04, 2026

    Md. Hospital Had Duty To Warn Of Patient's Violent Statements

    A Maryland appellate panel has said the family of a woman killed by her husband days after he was sent home from psychiatric care can move forward with their wrongful death lawsuit, finding the hospital had a duty to warn those living with the man of homicidal statements he made during his inpatient treatment.

  • May 04, 2026

    Hospital Group Calls Anthem's Out-Of-Network Plan Unlawful

    The California Hospital Association urged a state court to block Anthem Blue Cross' implementation of a new policy that penalizes participating facilities for using nonparticipating providers, saying the plan is illegal, fraudulent and an unfair business practice.

  • May 04, 2026

    NC Dems Propose Ballot Measure To Decriminalize Marijuana

    Three Democrats in the North Carolina Senate introduced legislation Monday that proposes putting the decriminalization of both recreational and medical marijuana on the ballot come the November elections.

  • May 04, 2026

    Judge Shuts Down Invalidity Theory In Abiomed IP Case

    A Massachusetts federal judge has foreclosed one of Abiomed's invalidity defenses in a case brought by rival medical technology firm Maquet over alleged infringement of a patent covering blood pump technology.

  • May 04, 2026

    Pa. Co. Inks $1.2M Deal To Settle FCA Allegations

    A Pennsylvania-based supported-living services provider will pay $1.2 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims for Medicaid payments, federal prosecutors said.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • How Sweeping Budget Bill Shakes Up Health Industry

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    With the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act marking one of the most significant overhauls of federal health policy since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, providers, managed care organizations and life sciences companies must now shift focus from policy review to implementation planning, say advisers at Holland & Knight.

  • New DOJ Penalty Policy Could Spell Trouble For Cos.

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    In light of the U.S. Department of Justice’s recently published guidance making victim relief a core condition of coordinated resolution crediting, companies facing parallel investigations must carefully calibrate their negotiation strategies to minimize the risk of duplicative penalties, say attorneys at Debevoise.