Policy & Compliance

  • January 12, 2026

    Feds To Drop Appeal In 340B Rebate Pilot Challenge

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday suggested it will end its appeal of a First Circuit order temporarily blocking it from instituting a rebate program that would change how the agency distributes payments in the federal 340B drug discount program that provides medications at reduced costs to low-income Americans. 

  • January 12, 2026

    ERISA Recovery Suit Against UnitedHealth Proceeds With Trims

    A UnitedHealth plan participant who was injured in a car crash may pursue claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's civil enforcement provision, an Ohio federal court ruled Friday, while also allowing his wife, who was involved in a separate accident, to proceed with certain state-law claims.

  • January 12, 2026

    Yale Asks Judge To Rethink $32M Baby Formula Death Verdict

    Yale University and the affiliated Yale New Haven Hospital have asked a Connecticut state court judge to reconsider a verdict of nearly $32 million over the death of a premature baby, contending that she failed to grasp battery and informed consent law when issuing her decision after a bench trial.

  • January 12, 2026

    DC Circ. Told $100K H-1B Fee Threatens Congress' Tax Power

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged the D.C. Circuit to bar the Trump administration from charging employers its new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, arguing it presents a "grave threat" to Congress' exclusive power to levy taxes.

  • January 12, 2026

    HHS' Pediatric Health Cuts Blocked As Likely 'Retaliatory'

    A D.C. federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from cutting nearly $12 million in pediatric health funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics, finding HHS could be retaliating for a lawsuit challenging the agency's changes to members on a federal vaccine committee. 

  • January 12, 2026

    Justices Want SG Input On Arthritis Drug Competition Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the Trump administration to weigh in on whether state unfair competition claims should be used to block a competitor from selling compounded versions of drugs in certain states.

  • January 12, 2026

    No High Court Review For California Opioid 'Nuisance' Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said it would not weigh in on a circuit court decision that a California public nuisance lawsuit against pharmacy benefit managers over their opioid-dispensing practices belongs in state court.

  • January 12, 2026

    Justices Pass On Houston Hospital Workers' COVID Vax Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a challenge to a Houston hospital's win in a lawsuit brought by a group of employees who said they were unlawfully terminated after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.

  • January 09, 2026

    Mylan, Aurobindo Must Face Generic Drug Price-Fixing Claims

    A Connecticut federal judge on Friday refused to hand a quick win to Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Aurobindo Pharma USA in sprawling antitrust litigation against 26 total pharmaceutical companies, ruling that a coalition of states has enough evidence to raise a genuine dispute about whether the companies conspired to fix drug prices.

  • January 09, 2026

    Up Next At High Court: Pollution Lawsuits & Trans Athletes

    The U.S. Supreme Court will kick off the new year by hearing disputes over the constitutionality of state laws banning transgender female athletes from female-only sports and whether state or federal courts are the proper forum for lawsuits seeking to hold major oil companies accountable for harm caused by their oil production activities along Louisiana's coast. 

  • January 09, 2026

    Mich. Bid For Behavioral Managed Care Contracts Can't Stand

    A Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled the state health department's bid for Medicaid managed care contract proposals would unlawfully interfere with the duties of local governmental bodies that provide and coordinate behavioral health care.

  • January 09, 2026

    Veterinary Group Says DOJ Accreditation Points Irrelevant

    The American Veterinary Medical Association has told a Tennessee federal court that the government's concerns about professional groups are irrelevant to a veterinary school's antitrust case challenging the association's accreditation requirements.

  • January 09, 2026

    Ex-Prosecutor OK For Drug Pricing MDL, Special Master Says

    Former Connecticut Assistant Attorney General Joseph Nielsen and his law firm, Lowey Dannenberg PC, should not be disqualified from representing insurers in multidistrict litigation over generic drug price-fixing because he did not have any special knowledge that the states suing drugmakers hadn't already shared with the private plaintiffs, according to a special master's report and recommendation.

  • January 08, 2026

    Walgreens Gets $392K Sanction Against Blue Cross Insurers

    A Chicago federal judge on Thursday ordered a host of Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers to pay Walgreens more than $392,000 in attorney fees and expenses for discovery misconduct in their suit that accuses the drugstore company of fraudulently overcharging for prescription drugs.

  • January 08, 2026

    9th Circ. Redo Raises New Issues On Abortion Coverage Law

    A Ninth Circuit panel that previously sided with Washington in a church's challenge to a state law mandating employer health coverage of abortion services voiced fresh concerns about both sides' positions when revisiting the case Thursday, roughly six months after rescinding the initial opinion without explanation.

  • January 08, 2026

    Ex-UnitedHealth GC Joins WilmerHale As Partner In London

    After more than 25 years as a general counsel handling some of the direst corporate crises imaginable, former UnitedHealth Group general counsel Rupert Bondy is returning to London to co-lead WilmerHale's crisis management and strategic response group.

  • January 07, 2026

    Potomac Law Adds Former DOJ, HHS Civil Rights Atty

    Potomac Law Group has hired a healthcare attorney with over 15 years working on LGBTQ+ protections and other civil rights issues at the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.

  • January 07, 2026

    Covenant Health Sued Over Patient Data Security Breach

    Nonprofit healthcare system Covenant Health Inc. has been hit with a proposed class action over a data breach that reportedly compromised the information of nearly half a million people.

  • January 06, 2026

    8th Circ. Revives Jail Suicide Suit Against Mental Health Org.

    An Eighth Circuit panel unanimously revived a lawsuit Tuesday by the family of an Iowa jail inmate who died by suicide, holding that a jury could find that a mental health provider's alleged incomplete report to jail staff put the inmate at greater risk.  

  • January 06, 2026

    Judge Hints Conn. Dentist's Press Release Claims Lack Teeth

    A Connecticut appellate judge seemed to doubt Tuesday that a dentist had asserted clear constitutional claims against state officials who issued a press release about his $300,000 False Claims Act settlement, suggesting the case might actually sound in defamation.

  • January 06, 2026

    Bankrupt Hospital Wants Out Of $3B BCBS Antitrust Deal

    A bankrupt Alabama hospital is asking a federal judge to allow it to drop out of a $2.8 billion antitrust class action settlement with Blue Cross Blue Shield, saying it may be forced to shut down unless it can pursue separate relief in bankruptcy court.

  • January 06, 2026

    The Future of The 340B Rebate Pilot

    A federal judge halted a new 340B pilot program, handing a win for safety net healthcare providers. Healthcare attorneys say it's too early for providers to celebrate.

  • January 06, 2026

    Cigna Accused Of Rigging Market For Life-Saving Drugs

    Patients with chronic health conditions sued Cigna in an Illinois federal court alleging in a proposed class action Tuesday that the company and its pharmacy and pharmacy benefit manager subsidiaries use exclusive agreements to lock users into a network where Byzantine refill processes have been deliberately erected to limit payouts for life-saving drugs.

  • January 06, 2026

    FTC Signals Support Of Miss. Bill For Midwives' Solo Practice

    A Federal Trade Commission official on Monday encouraged a Mississippi lawmaker to keep in mind the possible motives of opponents of proposed legislation that would exempt midwives from having to contract with physicians to provide advanced-level nursing care.

  • January 06, 2026

    GAO IDs 4 Funding Programs As Lacking Fraud Controls

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has identified four federal agency funding programs as having failed to incorporate certain key requirements and leading practices meant to oversee and prevent fraud, waste and abuse in awards. 

Expert Analysis

  • The OIG Report: Preparing For Oversight In 2025

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    Across sectors, Office of Inspector General work plans and challenge reports for 2025 provide a trove of information on the issues and industries that will likely be the focus of government oversight in the year to come, says Diana Shaw at Wiley.

  • 5 Drug And Device Developments That Shaped 2024

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    The last year saw significant legal developments affecting drug and device manufacturers, with landmark decisions and regulatory changes that require vigilance and agility from the industry, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • How New Fraud Enforcement Tool Affects Gov't Contractors

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    Government contractors will likely face greater scrutiny under the recently enacted Administrative False Claims Act, which broadens federal agencies' authority to pursue low-dollar fraud claims, but contractors may also find the act makes settlement of such claims easier to negotiate, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Consultants Should Be Aware Of DOJ's Potential New Reach

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent first-of-its-kind settlement with McKinsey & Co. indicates not only the DOJ's more aggressive stance toward businesses' potential criminal wrongdoings, but also the benefits of self-disclosure and cooperation when wrongdoing becomes apparent, says Dom Caamano at Kibler Fowler.

  • Health Tech Regulatory Trends To Watch In 2025

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    With an upcoming change in administration and the release of some long-awaited rules, the healthcare industry should prepare for shifting trends, including a growing focus on health data and interest in technology-enabled delivery of healthcare, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • 10 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2024

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    In a banner year for consumer finance regulation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made significant strides in its efforts to rein in Big Tech and nonbank financial firms, including via rules regarding open banking, credit card late fees, and buy now, pay later products, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • The Future Of GLP-1 Policy After Drug Shortage Ends

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    If and when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines that GLP-1 RA drugs are no longer in short supply, regulators will face questions of how to balance access to GLP-1 RAs with statutory and policy considerations applicable to compounded drugs, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Top 10 Whistleblowing And Retaliation Events Of 2024

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    From a Florida federal court’s ruling that the False Claims Act’s qui tam provision is unconstitutional to a record-breaking number of whistleblower tips filed with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, employers saw significant developments in the federal and state whistleblower landscapes this year, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • How White Collar Defense Attys Can Use Summary Witnesses

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    Few criminal defense attorneys have successfully utilized summary witnesses in the past, but several recent success stories show that it can be a worthwhile trial tactic to help juries understand the complex decision-making at issue, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Nutraceutical Patent Insights As Market Heats Up

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    Companies entering the expanding nutraceutical market and seeking patents to protect their innovations should evaluate successful nutraceutical claim language and common patent challenges in this field, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

  • How White Collar Attys Can Use Mythic Archetypes At Trial

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    A careful reading of a classic screenwriting guide shows that fairy tales and white collar trials actually have a lot in common, and defense attorneys would do well to tell a hero’s journey at trial, relying on universal character archetypes to connect with the jury, says Jack Sharman at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • What 2024 Election Means For Drugs, Medicare And Medicaid

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    With Republicans running the White House, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, the incoming administration is likely to provide pathways — through new initiatives and others returning from Trump's previous presidency — for a range of potential changes to drug pricing, Medicare and Medicaid, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Justices Mull Sex-Based Classification In Trans Law Case

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in U.S. v. Skrmetti this week, it appears that the fate of the Tennessee law at the center of the case — a law banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender adolescents — will hinge on whether the majority read the statute as imposing a sex-based classification, says Alexandra Crandall at Dickinson Wright.