Policy & Compliance

  • August 26, 2026

    Group Says HHS Can't Cut Certain Immigrants' Medicaid

    A Seattle-based community organization accused the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of misinterpreting the 2025 federal budget bill, telling a Washington federal court it cannot strip Medicaid benefits away from noncitizens receiving Supplemental Security Income.

  • August 26, 2026

    2nd Circ. Says Shield Law Covers Doctor In COVID Death Suit

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday affirmed the dismissal of a Connecticut estate's malpractice suit alleging a doctor negligently prescribed high doses of prednisone to an elderly COVID-19 patient who subsequently died of organ failure, finding the suit is barred under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act.

  • August 26, 2026

    Idaho Abortion Ban Relief Narrowed To 1 Doctor

    An Idaho federal judge walked back his recent order barring the state from enforcing its near-total abortion ban in certain health-related circumstances, finding that precedent in the U.S. Supreme Court supported a narrower injunction.

  • August 26, 2026

    7th Circ. Holds High Court Ruling Supports Ark. PBM Rule

    The Seventh Circuit refused Wednesday to revive a union fund's challenge to an Arkansas rule making health plans disclose pharmacy compensation and pay fees, backing a lower court's holding that the rule was in line with a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permitted state cost regulations on pharmacy benefit managers.

  • August 26, 2026

    Meta Makes $17B Deal With States Over Child Harms

    Meta has agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion and enact reforms to Facebook and Instagram to resolve sprawling social media addiction claims, in the midst of a high-stakes bellwether trial over whether the company hid or downplayed its platforms' allegedly harmful impact on minors, state enforcers say.

  • August 25, 2026

    Albertsons Witness Says Co.'s Opioid Policies Beat Standards

    Albertsons' pharmacy policies for reviewing potentially suspicious opioid prescriptions "met or exceeded" the standard of care, an expert witness for the company testified Tuesday, on the 26th day of a bench trial in Washington's case accusing the pharmacy chain of fueling the state's opioid epidemic.

  • August 25, 2026

    Merck Drug Price Row Loss, $56M Biotech Verdict And More

    Law360 Healthcare Authority looks at a D.C. federal court's rejection of Merck's challenge to the Medicare drug price negotiation program, a Delaware federal jury's $56 million verdict in a patent row over cell analysis technology and other litigation outcomes impacting the healthcare industry.

  • August 25, 2026

    Ed Dept. Must Turn Over Records In Mental Health Grants Row

    A Washington federal judge Monday partly granted a group of states' bid for expedited discovery in their suit over the Trump administration's attempt to cut nearly $1 billion in funding for K-12 mental health grants, finding the information could assist the court before a hearing for a preliminary injunction.

  • August 25, 2026

    Meet The Atty In Colo. Hospital Gender Care Lawsuit

    Paula Greisen has represented clients in the LGBTQ+ community in major litigation over the past decade. In recent days, she helped secured class certification in a lawsuit against Children's Hospital Colorado.

  • August 25, 2026

    Trump Not Likely to Change Direction of School Vaccine Law

    States that don't allow religious exemptions to school vaccine mandates have often prevailed in legal challenges. Despite renewed pressure from the Trump administration, legal experts expect the winning streak to go on.

  • August 25, 2026

    HHS Info Request Signals Potential Shift In Vax Policy

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services showed skepticism about "top-down mandates" and broad vaccine recommendations. It sets the stage for overhauling how the government delivers its vaccine recommendations.

  • August 25, 2026

    Geico Says NJ Top Court Upends 3rd Circ. Arbitration Ruling

    Geico urged a New Jersey federal court to reject medical clinics' bid to dismiss remaining claims in a lawsuit alleging they fraudulently billed no-fault patients, saying that a recent state supreme court ruling bolsters the insurer's argument that complex insurance fraud claims do not belong in arbitration.

  • August 25, 2026

    6th Circ. Urged To Affirm Tobacco Fee Suit Toss

    A trade group representing large employee benefit plan administrators wrote in support of insurance giant Progressive at the Sixth Circuit, asking the appellate court to back dismissal of a proposed class action alleging the insurer wrongfully charged workers more for healthcare who used tobacco and refused COVID-19 vaccination. 

  • August 25, 2026

    Judge Allows Hospital Groups To Fight AbbVie 340B Suit

    A D.C. federal judge will allow hospitals and health center groups to intervene on the side of the government as it fights AbbVie's challenge to the definition of "patient" in the 340B drug discount program, ruling that the providers would suffer concrete financial harm if the pharmaceutical company's interpretation prevails.

  • August 25, 2026

    Vedder Adds Benefits And Exec Comp Pro From Winston Taylor

    Vedder has added a seasoned employee benefits and executive compensation partner from Winston Taylor LLP to join its practice as a new shareholder in Chicago, where she will advise clients on a wide range of retirement, health and welfare benefits issues, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • August 24, 2026

    'So What?': Albertsons Judge Skeptical Of Wash. Opioid Suit

    A Washington state judge considering Albertsons' mid-trial motion to dismiss allegations it fueled the state's opioid epidemic told lawyers for the state Monday that while they might have shown the pharmacy chain failed to implement an adequate monitoring system, she's still skeptical the company's conduct actually caused the overdose crisis.

  • August 24, 2026

    Merck Loses HHS Suit Over Medicare Drug Price Program

    A D.C. federal judge shot down Merck's challenge to the Inflation Reduction Act's Drug Price Negotiation Program on Monday, ruling that the pharmaceutical giant's voluntary participation in connected Medicare and Medicaid programs meant that its inclusion in the negotiation program doesn't constitute an unconstitutional taking.

  • August 24, 2026

    Colo. Judge Certifies Class In Hospital Gender Care Suit

    A Colorado state judge granted class certification in transgender adolescents' lawsuit seeking to have Children's Hospital Colorado resume providing gender-affirming medical care for them and other transgender youth patients.

  • August 24, 2026

    AdaptHealth Wins First OK For $14.3M NC Overbilling Deal

    A North Carolina federal court has given its preliminary approval to a $14.3 million settlement of claims that Pennsylvania-based AdaptHealth Corp. overbilled patients for medical equipment they had returned to the company, according to court filings.

  • August 24, 2026

    Humana Strikes Deal To Wrap Up Nurse's FLSA Suit

    Humana Inc. and a nurse who sued the health insurer in Georgia federal court for allegedly skimping on overtime pay have reached a deal to bring her proposed collective action to a close.

  • August 24, 2026

    Ill. Won't Hold Religious Docs To 'Aid-In-Dying' Law, For Now

    Illinois agreed not to force a group of religious healthcare providers to refer patients to "medical aid in dying" services, a form of care recently legalized by the state allowing certain terminally ill individuals to seek prescriptions for lethal medication to bring about their death.

  • August 21, 2026

    Albertsons Twists Record In Opioid Trial Motion, Wash. Says

    Washington state is urging a Seattle judge to reject Albertsons' latest dismissal bid in a suit accusing the grocery giant of fueling the state's opioid epidemic, arguing the motion rehashes failed arguments and distorts evidence presented over the past five weeks in an ongoing bench trial.

  • August 21, 2026

    Trump Seeks Justices' Review Of DEI Grant Termination Case

    The Trump administration is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit decision requiring the federal government to reinstate research grants that were terminated due to presidential orders against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

  • August 21, 2026

    DC Circ. Voids Block On OMB Funding Freeze

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday vacated a district judge's block on the Trump administration's pause on a wide array of federal grants, loans and financial assistance, ruling that the Office of Management and Budget's rescission of the memorandum rendered the lawsuit moot.

  • August 21, 2026

    Radiology Co. Board Members Can't Dodge ESOP Trial

    A Colorado federal judge declined Friday to let board members of radiology company Envision escape a suit headed to a bench trial over claims they orchestrated an inflated $163.7 million stock sale to an employee stock ownership plan, ruling it's too contested whether they had control of the deal.

Expert Analysis

  • How State FCA Activity May Affect Civil Fraud Enforcement

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    A growing trend of state attorneys general enforcing their False Claims Act analogues independently of the U.S. Department of Justice carries potential repercussions for civil fraud enforcement and qui tam litigation considerations, say Li Yu at Bernstein Litowitz, Ellen London at London & Naor and Gwen Stamper at Vogel Slade.

  • Wage-Based H-1B Rule Amplifies Lottery Risks For Law Firms

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    Under the wage-based H-1B lottery rule taking effect Feb. 27, law firms planning to hire noncitizen law graduates awaiting bar admission should consider their options, as the work performed by such candidates may sit at the intersection of multiple occupational classifications with differing chances of success, says Jun Li at Reid & Wise.

  • Assessing Compliance Risks Around TrumpRx Participation

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    As there are novel compliance obligations and potential political opposition related to the new TrumpRx online drug platform, companies intending to participate on the site should consider the pressure points that are likely to draw enforcement scrutiny, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • Predicting Actual Impact From CDC's New Vaccine Guidance

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    Recent federal changes to the childhood immunization schedule, reducing the number of vaccine recommendations from 18 to 11, do not automatically create enforceable obligations for parents, schools or healthcare providers, but may spur litigation and other downstream effects on school policies and state guidelines, says Mehdi Sinaki at Michelman & Robinson.

  • What Rescheduling Means For Cannabis Labels, Marketing

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    The proposed reclassification of cannabis is expected to bring heightened scrutiny of labeling, advertising and marketing from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission, but the brands that tighten evidence, standardize operations and professionalize marketing controls now will see fewer surprises and better outcomes, say attorneys at Wilson Elser.

  • What's At Stake In Possible Circuit Split On Medicaid Rule

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    A recent Eleventh Circuit decision, reviving Florida's lawsuit against a federal rule that reduces Medicaid funding based on agreements between hospitals, sets up a potential circuit split with the Fifth Circuit, with important ramifications for states looking to private administrators to run provider tax programs, say Liz Goodman, Karuna Seshasai and Rebecca Pitt at FTI Consulting.

  • Courts' Rare Quash Of DOJ Subpoenas Has Lessons For Cos.

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    In a rare move, three federal courts recently quashed or partially quashed expansive U.S. Department of Justice administrative subpoenas issued to providers of gender-affirming care, demonstrating that courts will scrutinize purpose, cabin statutory authority and acknowledge the profound privacy burdens of overbroad government demands for sensitive records, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Remote Patient Monitoring Is At Regulatory Inflection Point

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    With remote patient monitoring at the center of new federal pilot programs and a recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General examining Medicare billing for those services, it is clear that balancing innovation and risk will be a central challenge ahead for digital health stakeholders, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Utah's AI Prescription Renewal Pilot Could Inform Policy

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    Utah recently became the first state to approve an artificial intelligence system for autonomously renewing certain prescription medicines, providing a test case for how regulators may be able to draw boundaries between administrative automation and medical judgment, say Jashaswi Ghosh at Holon Law Partners and Bryant Godfrey at Foley Hoag.

  • Ramped Up Psychedelic Production Carries Opportunity, Risk

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    Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell discusses the key legal implications of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's recent dramatic increases in the production quotas for a range of psychedelic substances, offering guidance on compliance, risk management and strategic opportunities for practitioners navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.

  • New Biotech Nat'l Security Controls May Have Blunted Impact

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    While the newly enacted federal prohibition against contracting with certain biotechnology providers associated with countries of concern may have consequences on U.S. companies' ability to develop drugs, the restrictions may prove to be less problematic for the industry than the significant publicity around their passage would suggest, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Takeaways From The DOJ Fraud Section's 2025 Year In Review

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    Former acting Principal Deputy Chief Sean Tonolli of the U.S. Department of Justice's Fraud Section, now at Cahill Gordon, analyzes key findings from the section’s annual report — including the changes implemented to adapt to the new administration’s priorities — and lays out what to watch for this year.

  • Traditional FCA Enforcement Surges Amid Shifting Priorities

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s January report on False Claims Act enforcement in fiscal year 2025 reveals that while the administration signaled its intent to expand FCA enforcement into new areas such as tariffs, for now the greatest exposure remains in traditional areas like healthcare — in which the risk is growing, say attorneys at Debevoise.