Policy & Compliance

  • October 05, 2026

    1st Circ. Doubts Harvard Grant Fight Belongs In Claims Court

    The First Circuit Monday appeared skeptical that a lower court erred in backing Harvard University in a suit over the Trump administration's bid to freeze more than $2 billion in grant funding, suggesting that the case had been decided in the proper venue.

  • October 05, 2026

    Justices Won't Review Pregnancy Center Vandalism Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said it will not review the conviction of a Florida woman for conspiring to violate a federal statute that prohibits intimidation and obstruction of people trying to access reproductive health facilities.

  • October 05, 2026

    Justices Won't Hear Minn. Indian Child Welfare Act Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear two foster parents' challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act after the Minnesota Supreme Court determined they don't have standing to take on the bedrock law on claims of constitutional equal protection rights.

  • October 02, 2026

    Teva Ruling Creates Medicare Drug 'Chaos,' Full DC Circ. Told

    The federal government asked the full D.C. Circuit on Friday to reconsider a panel ruling allowing Teva to challenge Medicare's rules for deciding which drugs qualify for price negotiations, arguing the decision invites litigation that could create drug-pricing "chaos" and cause drug prices to quickly leap by more than 550%.

  • October 02, 2026

    Pa. Justices Reject Federal Limits On Agency Deference

    Pennsylvania courts do not have to follow federal precedents that limit deference to a state agency's interpretation of unclear regulations, with a majority of the state's highest court finding Thursday that an agency interpretation can be one of multiple factors for analyzing an ambiguous regulation.

  • October 02, 2026

    Judge OKs Provider Not Telling Clients Of Deal End, For Now

    A Colorado state judge granted Friday a home personal care services company's bid to delay notifying clients of a state regulatory agency's decision to terminate its provider agreement amid an upcoming administrative appeal hearing, citing a potential care gap for the providers' clients — all of them insured by Medicaid.

  • October 02, 2026

    NY-Presbyterian Can't Nix Union Funds' Antitrust Suit

    A New York federal judge ruled three union benefit funds can pursue an antitrust suit against New York Presbyterian Hospital without first proving it holds a large market share in the city, rejecting the hospital's motion to toss the suit on Friday.

  • October 02, 2026

    Pa. Hospital Workers Sue Over Biased Time Rounding

    A patient registration worker sued the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in federal court Friday, alleging the hospital system's timekeeping software rounds time in the company's favor, while requiring patient services staff to work off the clock before and after their shifts and during meal breaks without compensation.

  • October 02, 2026

    DOJ Envisions 'Full-Fledged Law Firm' To Combat Gov't Fraud

    The National Fraud Enforcement Division was created less than six months ago, but it is rapidly reshaping the U.S. Department of Justice and spurring an uptick in internal corporate investigations, white collar experts say.

  • October 02, 2026

    6th Circ. Blocks 100s Of Opioid MDL Cases Targeting PBMs

    The Sixth Circuit on Friday overturned a pivotal decision in multidistrict opioid litigation that had dramatically expanded claims against the nation's largest pharmacy benefit managers, saying the MDL's presiding judge "clearly abused" his authority by belatedly allowing hundreds of new cases in one fell swoop.

  • October 02, 2026

    5 Supreme Court Cases To Watch This Fall

    The U.S. Supreme Court will convene Monday to begin its 2026 October term, which includes several cases that could determine the future of climate change tort litigation, expand religious freedoms and parental rights, and grant states authority to require proof of citizenship when individuals register for presidential elections using state forms. 

  • October 02, 2026

    4 Argument Sessions Benefits Attys Should Watch In October

    Former Intel workers' bid to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to revive their suit alleging shoddy retirement plan investments tops the list of oral arguments slated for October that benefits attorneys may want to keep an eye on. Here's a look at that case and three others teed up for argument this month.

  • October 01, 2026

    Home Health Co. Seeks Pause Of Colo. Agency's Backout

    A Colorado home personal care services company exclusively serving those insured by Medicaid urged a state judge Thursday to pause a Colorado regulatory agency's decision to terminate its provider agreement, contending any transition of clients to other providers should come after an administrative court hearing later this month.

  • October 01, 2026

    AbbVie Gets Humira Antitrust Suit Trimmed, But Not Tossed

    An Illinois federal judge tossed all but one claim in a sheet metal worker health plan's putative class action against AbbVie for allegedly causing artificially inflated prices for the rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira, saying the plan sufficiently alleged AbbVie unlawfully stifled competition in the adalimumab market.

  • October 01, 2026

    NH Families Seek To Block Medicaid Ban On Youth Trans Care

    Transgender adolescents and their parents urged a New Hampshire federal court Thursday to block the Trump administration's plan to cut off Medicaid funding for minors' gender-affirming care, arguing it's unconstitutional, motivated by discriminatory animus and violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

  • October 01, 2026

    Judge Bars HHS Medicaid Cuts For Wash. Noncitizens On SSI

    A federal judge has temporarily halted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' attempts to cancel Medicaid benefits to noncitizens in Washington state receiving supplemental security income, finding the loss of benefits could lead to permanent disability or death.

  • October 01, 2026

    Fla. Doc Says He Opposed Cruise Co.'s Billing, Got Fired

    A doctor has brought a federal whistleblower lawsuit against Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings Ltd. in Florida federal court, alleging he lost his job after speaking out against what he believed were fraudulent practices to overcharge passengers for medical services that weren't necessary. 

  • October 01, 2026

    Fla. AG Says Pfizer Hid COVID Vax Risks From Consumers

    Florida's attorney general sued Pfizer and its CEO on Thursday, claiming they deceptively marketed the pharmaceutical company's COVID-19 vaccines as safe despite knowing of reports of adverse events.

  • October 01, 2026

    Calif. Co. Will Pay $20M To Settle COVID Payment Claims

    Los Angeles-based medical lab Signal Diagnostics LLC agreed to pay $20.5 million to settle allegations that it unlawfully retained overpayments for COVID tests for people who had health insurance, according to federal prosecutors.

  • September 30, 2026

    Aetna Escapes Zelis Repricing Tool Antitrust Case

    A Massachusetts federal judge granted Aetna's bid Wednesday to dismiss claims against it in consolidated antitrust litigation accusing insurance companies of using Zelis Healthcare's repricing tools to reduce reimbursements paid to healthcare providers, finding an amended complaint failed to plausibly allege that Aetna used the tools.

  • September 30, 2026

    Ex-NFL Players Object To Proposed Race-Norming Settlement

    More than 100 former NFL players spoke against a proposed class action settlement over allegedly discriminatory cognitive disability assessments, telling a federal judge it threatens to release the league's benefit plans from claims raised in other litigation and deliver largely empty rescoring promises.

  • September 30, 2026

    Pharma Co. Says Mass. Plant Hid FDA Sterility Concerns

    A North Carolina pharmaceutical company says in a complaint filed Wednesday in Massachusetts state court that the company it hired to package a drug for clinical trials involving young children intentionally downplayed a U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspection that flagged multiple contamination issues.

  • September 30, 2026

    Relator Must Seek Part Of $4.7B Opioid Deal In State Courts

    A whistleblower must turn to state courts to pursue his bid for a portion of a $4.7 billion settlement between Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. and a group of states resolving opioid-related claims against the retail pharmacy chain, an Illinois federal judge ruled.

  • September 30, 2026

    Judge Backs CMS' Contested Organ Procurement Metrics

    Federal health officials didn't violate federal law when they implemented a competitive rule that will alter how organ procurers are rated by decertifying low performers, a Florida federal judge ruled, a holding that could bring wide changes to the organ donor network. 

  • September 30, 2026

    Health Co. Wins Initial Toss Of Retirement Forfeiture Suit

    An Oregon federal judge agreed Wednesday to toss a proposed class action alleging a health company misspent forfeitures from two employee retirement plans by putting assets toward employer-side contribution obligations instead of lowering administrative costs, holding that allegations failed to state a claim for violating federal benefits law.

Expert Analysis

  • Prepping Health Businesses For Sale In A Data-Driven Market

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    In a thinner market for healthcare transactions, with both regulators and buyers using artificial intelligence to inspect data in great detail, the margin for error in sellers' financials and legal diligence has narrowed, requiring more proactive compliance efforts, says Cody Dumas at FBFK Law.

  • NY Ethics Opinion Warns Attys On Qui Tam Deception

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    A recent New York State Bar Association ethics opinion cautions that counsel representing whistleblowers may not induce, supervise or facilitate a client's deceptive prefiling investigations, creating a potential vulnerability for qui tam complaints built on questionable evidence-gathering methods, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • DOJ Fraud Declination Highlights Self-Disclosure Tradeoffs

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    As exemplified by the U.S. Department of Justice's declination of charges against Campus Eye Management under its new corporate enforcement policy, self-disclosure can be an attractive option for healthcare companies navigating criminal exposure, but should be weighed against potential costs, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What DOJ Fraud Division Rule Resolves, And What It Doesn't

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently published final rule answers many outstanding questions about the newly created National Fraud Enforcement Division, but overlapping mandates could result in parallel investigations and diverging viewpoints between multiple sets of prosecutors, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Youth Center Investigation Shows Rising Governance Scrutiny

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    A recent New Hampshire attorney general report following its investigation into the state's Sununu Youth Services Center shows how organizations serving vulnerable populations can face scrutiny of their governance, safety practices and preparedness, even when investigators find no abuse, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Target's ERISA Win Doesn't Ax Tobacco Surcharge Questions

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    Though a Minnesota federal court's recent dismissal of a putative class action challenging Target's tobacco surcharge wellness program offers employers a defense road map, courts' differing conclusions about the Employee Retirement Income Security Act versus U.S. Department of Labor requirements leave the legal landscape unsettled, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • How 'Most Favored Nation' Regime Affects Biopharma Deals

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    As M&A activity surges in the biopharma space, companies will need to account for the Trump administration's most-favored-nation pricing proposals — durable in concept, if unsettled in detail — when drafting deals, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Where DOJ's Fraud Priorities Memo May Actually Matter

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently released memo outlining priorities for its newly created fraud division will shape how cases are identified, staffed and sequenced, meaning white collar defense work must begin earlier, say David Tarras at Tarras Defense and Trevor Jones at Dynamis.

  • DOJ Healthcare Declination Offers Self-Disclosure Checklist

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's declination of criminal charges against Campus Eye Management signals that its new self-disclosure policy provides a real path for healthcare companies to avoid criminal exposure, but that path is paved with speed, transparency and operational remediation, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Correctional Healthcare Requires Clearer Legal Standards

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    As the correctional healthcare industry increasingly faces financial instability due to litigation, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons should develop clear standards for constitutionally adequate care for incarcerated patients, says Susanne Moore at Blackstone Trial Group.

  • How Home Infusion Providers Can Adapt To Enrollment Pause

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    Recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services moratoria on new enrollments of home health agencies, medical equipment companies and hospices make home infusion providers' compliance obligations more complex and ambiguous, requiring new careful consideration of specific enrollment requirements and limitations, say attorneys at Quarles & Brady.

  • AI Data Mining Is Changing FCA Enforcement

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    With False Claims Act investigations increasingly emerging from statistical anomalies identified by data miners, companies need to consider what conclusions an outsider armed with artificial intelligence might draw from public-facing data and be ready to explain any anomalies if questions arise, say attorneys at Cohen & Gresser.

  • Lessons From 5 Months Of DOJ Corporate Policy Deals

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    Recent declinations and prosecution agreements between the U.S. Department of Justice and corporations since the March unveiling of the corporate enforcement and voluntary disclosure policy provide takeaways for management considering how to respond to corporate misconduct, says Brendan Quigley at Baker Botts.