Policy & Compliance

  • June 17, 2026

    Mental Health Co. To Face Wage Class Damages Trial

    A North Carolina federal judge ruled Wednesday that the mental healthcare company JMJ Enterprises LLC must face a second-phase damages trial after a jury found in February in favor of a collective of employees claiming that the company willfully broke federal and state wage laws by underpaying workers at group homes.

  • June 17, 2026

    DC Judge Halts Prison Bureau's 'Near Total' Trans Care Ban

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge blocked the Bureau of Prisons from enforcing a "near total ban" on gender-affirming care for trans incarcerated people, ruling Wednesday the policy was "reverse engineered" to fit the Trump administration's directive barring funding of such care in prisons, violating the Administrative Procedure Act. 

  • June 17, 2026

    Sen. Committee Clears Drug Disclosure, Biosimilar Bills

    The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Wednesday cleared two bills for full Senate review, tackling the gap between health and patent oversight agencies, and the need for more interchangeable biosimilars.

  • June 17, 2026

    FTC Claims Trans Health Org. Lied About Medical Consensus

    The Federal Trade Commission and several Republican-led states sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health on Wednesday, telling a Texas federal court that the organization falsely touted a "medical consensus" while advocating for transgender healthcare for children.

  • June 17, 2026

    NC Clinic, School District Must Face COVID Vax Challenge

    A North Carolina state appeals panel issued its second opinion in a lawsuit from the mother of a teenager who alleged he was vaccinated for COVID against his will, finding Wednesday that she adequately put forward constitutional claims and can pursue allegations against a school district and medical society clinic in trial court.

  • June 17, 2026

    DOJ Deal Bars OhioHealth From Blocking Patient Steering

    OhioHealth swore off contract language inhibiting the ability of insurers to steer patients to cheaper healthcare providers, in a settlement resolving one of two U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawsuits targeting alleged hospital network efforts to force insurers to cover their hospitals in all plans.

  • June 17, 2026

    Genova Burns Adds Pharmacy Industry Specialist In NJ

    Genova Burns LLC strengthened its healthcare abilities this week with the hiring of an attorney focusing on representing pharmacy benefit managers and other players in the prescription drug supply chain.

  • June 17, 2026

    Lab Owner Avoids 'Very Long' Prison Term For $89M Fraud

    A Utah businessman who cooperated with prosecutors after admitting his role in a false Medicare claims scheme was sentenced Wednesday in New Jersey federal court to three years of probation and ordered to forfeit $28 million.

  • June 16, 2026

    Feds Say NY Health Officials Aided Fraud In Medicaid Program

    New York health officials rigged the bidding process for managing the state's $10 billion Medicaid homecare program, and the state-chosen steward didn't deliver on its promises, which has harmed patients and caregivers and cost American taxpayers millions of dollars, the U.S. Department of Justice alleged in a lawsuit Tuesday.

  • June 16, 2026

    Courts Rule On Provider Self-Referrals, FCA Deal And More

    Law360 Healthcare Authority looks at a split decision by Pennsylvania's highest court concerning a state prohibition on provider self-referrals, a $2.3 million False Claims Act settlement, and other rulings impacting the healthcare industry this week.

  • June 16, 2026

    Wash. Judge Won't Revisit Order On Ed. Dept. School Grants

    A federal judge in Seattle will not reconsider her decision declining to enforce an earlier order barring the U.S. Department of Education from ceasing school mental health grants, saying Washington and other plaintiff states have not shown that the court erred.

  • June 16, 2026

    Anti-Abortion Group Renews Bid To Block NJ's Info Demand

    An anti‑abortion pregnancy center urged a federal judge to block New Jersey's attorney general from enforcing a subpoena seeking financial donor information, arguing in a renewed bid for a preliminary injunction that the demand is retaliatory and persists despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the group to challenge the investigation.

  • June 16, 2026

    J&J Talc Trial In LA Ends With Deadlocked Jury

    A mistrial was declared Monday by a Los Angeles state judge in a two-month trial over allegations Johnson & Johnson's talc products caused a woman's deadly mesothelioma after the jury deadlocked during deliberations, according to counsel for the plaintiff.

  • June 16, 2026

    Md. Judge Continues Health Case Law Streak With ACA Ruling

    U.S. District Judge Brendan Abell Hurson in Baltimore has been on the bench for less than three years. He's already building an impressive list of healthcare rulings.

  • June 16, 2026

    Oregon Ruling Tests Civil Commitment Court Process

    A federal ruling restricting civil commitment admissions of mentally ill criminal defendants in Oregon could upend a legal framework that has long struggled with how to prepare people for court.

  • June 16, 2026

    Transparency Crackdown Escalates Legal Risk For Hospitals

    The Trump administration is sending hundreds of letters to hospitals insisting on compliance with a price transparency rule. Healthcare attorneys say the effort could have real teeth.

  • June 15, 2026

    Med Groups Slam HHS 'Red Herring' Bid To Fast-Track Appeal

    Medical groups who won an order halting the Trump administration's modified childhood vaccination schedule on Monday urged the First Circuit to ignore the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' "red herring" arguments for an expedited appeal, saying the agency has for months stalled the process.

  • June 15, 2026

    DOJ Says NY Court Can't Block Texas Trans Records Probe

    The U.S. Department of Justice urged a New York federal court Monday to deny a request for an order barring the government from seeking transgender minor patients' medical records through a criminal subpoena issued by a Texas grand jury, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction.

  • June 15, 2026

    Attys Want Up To $33M In Long-Running UBH Benefits Fight

    Attorneys for employee benefit plan participants who sued to change how United Behavioral Health processed claims for mental health and substance use disorder treatment asked a California federal court for up to $33 million in fees and expenses for their work on the "groundbreaking" case.

  • June 15, 2026

    CareFirst Says Intent Standard Was Misread In Stelara Case

    CareFirst is arguing that a Virginia federal judge created a new standard for monopolization claims when he dismissed claims from the company's antitrust suit challenging Johnson & Johnson's protection of its immunosuppressive drug Stelara, arguing he misread a Fourth Circuit decision in ruling that monopolization requires a showing of specific intent.

  • June 15, 2026

    GEO Says Only ICE Controls NJ Detention Center Access

    Private prison operator The GEO Group Inc. has told a New Jersey federal court it was wrongly sued over state health inspectors allegedly being blocked from fully accessing an immigration detention facility, arguing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement exclusively controls access.

  • June 15, 2026

    Wyo. Judge Nixes 3 Abortion Care Limits As Unconstitutional

    A Wyoming judge has struck down three state laws restricting abortion care, finding that the state failed to demonstrate it had a compelling interest in effectuating a 48-hour waiting period for abortions and requiring certain abortion facilities to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers, among other restrictions.

  • June 15, 2026

    Ala. Judge Shopping Case Dismissed, But Docs Sealed For Year

    A Florida federal judge indicated in a brief order Friday that an indictment has been dismissed against an attorney in a judge shopping case, but said the motion related to the dismissal will be kept under seal for a year.

  • June 15, 2026

    Justices Decline To Hear Pa. Prison ADA Liability Challenge

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to take up Pennsylvania's petition to overturn a ruling finding it could possibly be held liable under the Americans with Disabilities Act in an incarcerated man's lawsuit alleging he was illegally denied access to proper medical care.

  • June 12, 2026

    Wellpoint Data Breach Suit Says Delay Elevated Fraud Risk

    A Washington resident accused insurer Wellpoint Washington Inc. and health services provider Independent Clinics of Washington of failing to adequately protect patient information from a June 2025 cyberattack, claiming in a proposed nationwide class action Thursday that Wellpoint also neglected to inform subscribers until nearly a year after the breach.

Expert Analysis

  • Engaging With FDA's New Complete Response Letter Policy

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    A citizen petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month puts renewed focus on the agency's practice of releasing complete response letters in near real time, materially altering the context in which life sciences companies communicate with investors regarding regulatory developments, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Trump's Psychedelics EO Creates A Regulatory Collision

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    Sponsors pursuing U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for psychedelic drug access must tackle how to generate regulatory-grade safety and efficacy data in controlled trials when President Donald Trump's recent executive order on psychedelics mandates uncontrolled access through Right to Try, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and Odette Hauke at Odette Alina.

  • AI Regulatory Gaps May Fuel FCA Enforcement Action

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    The intersection of artificial intelligence and False Claims Act enforcement presents legal risk for government contractors across several industries, particularly in the absence of a federal regulatory framework explicitly governing its development and use, say attorneys at O’Melveny.

  • 5th Circ.'s Abortion Pill Order Is Shaky On Multiple Grounds

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    The Fifth Circuit's recent order in Louisiana v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, reinstating an in-person dispensing requirement for the abortion medication mifepristone, seems to turn federalism upside-down, and is also questionable for several other reasons, says Gregory Curtner at Curtner Law.

  • 5 Takeaways From Justices' Subpoena Fight Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in First Choice v. Davenport fortifies a line of First Amendment associational privacy cases stretching back nearly 70 years, and ensures that organizations subject to government demands for donor information have a meaningful federal forum in which to defend their constitutional rights, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Accelerated Psychedelic Therapy Pathways Require Caution

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    President Donald Trump's new executive order aiming to accelerate the approval of psychedelic drugs for the treatment of mental health disorders will likely bolster investigational psychedelic therapies, but parties within the psychedelic product supply chain will still need to prepare for potentially burdensome compliance requirements, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Health Cos. Must Act Quickly To Secure Digital Front Doors

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    A fast-approaching deadline will require health providers to implement digital accessibility standards to their websites, necessitating important compliance steps that will help to ensure equal access to online health services, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How Oregon Ruling Affects Federal Gender Care Crackdown

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    In a favorable development for healthcare providers, an Oregon federal court recently vacated certain U.S. Department of Health and Human Services restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, but the government's broader campaign against this care, including proposed rulemaking and agency investigations, leaves significant uncertainty, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • NY Opioid Antagonist Mandate Leaves Employers Guessing

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    A recently enacted New York law will require employers that are federally mandated to maintain first-aid supplies to now include an opioid antagonist, but being that it is subject to a complicated Occupational Safety and Health Administration analysis, employers face several unanswered compliance questions, say attorneys at Conn Maciel.

  • Calif. Case Raises Questions For Medical Practice Investors

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    The California attorney general's amicus brief in Art Center v. WCE and the California Medical Association's response highlight how the California appeals court's ruling could significantly affect the structure and enforceability of succession arrangements in medical practice ownership, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Previewing FDA Preapproval Access In Psychedelics EO

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    The second of two pathways for psychedelic drug access outlined in President Donald Trump's recent executive order constitutes an unprecedented expansion of the Right to Try Act, which could fundamentally alter the psychedelic access landscape while presenting significant regulatory, operational and legal challenges, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Previewing FDA National Priority Vouchers In Psychedelics EO

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    President Donald Trump's recent executive order on psychedelic drug access represents a watershed moment in federal drug policy, but its significance lies in two distinct regulatory pathways, the first being the Commissioner's National Priority Vouchers, which offer a significant opportunity to compress U.S. Food and Drug Administration review, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and Odette Hauke at Odette Alina.

  • AG Watch: Texas Charts A Course On Investigative Authority

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    The Texas Supreme Court's recent decision in Texas v. PFLAG affirmed, and arguably expanded, the Texas attorney general's civil investigative demand authority, providing a road map that other courts evaluating state attorney general CIDs may find instructive, amid a lack of precedent, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.