Policy & Compliance

  • March 28, 2025

    PE Firm Hits Back Against Medical Device Coating Challenge

    Private equity firm GTCR BC Holdings LLC told a Federal Trade Commission in-house judge Friday the commission has a warped view of the medical device coatings market, as the firm fights a bid to block its $627 million acquisition of Surmodics Inc.

  • March 28, 2025

    Ex-Chicago Firefighter's Vaccine Bias Suit Fails, For Now

    The city of Chicago dodged a former firefighter's lawsuit claiming he was fired for not complying with the city's COVID-19 vaccination policy after being given a religious exemption, with an Illinois federal judge ruling Friday he failed to show he was also exempt from the policy's testing requirement.

  • March 28, 2025

    Feds Settle NC Insurer's Medicare Reimbursement Suit

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has settled a North Carolina state-created insurance association's suit arguing it did not need to pay back the federal Medicare program for claims that should otherwise be covered by private insurance, and the parties jointly dismissed the matter Thursday.

  • March 28, 2025

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: TikTok Duel Heats Up, NIL Suit Plays On

    In March, the North Carolina Business Court readied for trial in an insurance coverage dispute involving Smithfield Foods, heard why TikTok is subject to the state's jurisdiction, and allowed the Cardiac Pack's NIL suit against the NCAA to proceed while a parallel case plays out.

  • March 27, 2025

    Diopsys Inks $14M Deal Resolving Vision Testing FCA Claims

    Medical device maker Diopsys Inc. has agreed to pay up to $14.25 million to put to rest allegations it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false Medicare and Medicaid claims for certain vision testing services, according to a U.S. Department of Justice announcement Thursday.

  • March 27, 2025

    DC Judge Seems Open To Fired Inspectors' Reinstatement Bid

    A D.C. federal judge on Thursday questioned whether it would make practical sense to reinstate eight inspectors general fired by President Donald Trump while signaling openness to the federal watchdogs' argument that the president must follow the legally mandated process before they can be terminated.

  • March 27, 2025

    Fertility Co. Wants To Pull Device Maker Into Negligence Suit 

    A fertility products company wants two other companies to share potential liability from a Connecticut state lawsuit alleging that a recalled culture medium was responsible for the loss of embryos a couple were planning to use for in vitro fertilization.

  • March 27, 2025

    Feds Allowed To Weigh In On MultiPlan Pricing MDL

    The federal government will be allowed to appear in multidistrict antitrust litigation targeting MultiPlan's out-of-network reimbursement rates to offer input on the legal framework for analyzing claims involving the joint use of algorithms, a practice it says poses "a growing threat" to free market competition.

  • March 27, 2025

    FCA Suit Alleging Unnecessary Spinal Surgeries Avoids Dismissal

    A Washington federal judge declined Wednesday to toss the state and federal government's suit alleging a hospital operator made millions of dollars by submitting false claims to Medicaid and Medicare for medically unnecessary surgical procedures.

  • March 27, 2025

    Walgreens To Pay $2.8M For Alleged Medicaid Overcharges

    Walgreens will pay $2.8 million under an agreement with federal prosecutors to settle allegations that it submitted inflated prices for some generic medications to Medicaid programs in Massachusetts and Georgia.

  • March 27, 2025

    DOJ's Antitrust Unit Targeting Anticompetitive Regulations

    The U.S. Department of Justice launched a task force on Thursday aimed at eliminating state and federal laws and regulations that are hindering competition, with an initial focus on key sectors including housing, food and transportation.

  • March 27, 2025

    EMS Co. Accused Of Failing To Pay Proper Overtime

    A private ambulance company has been hit with a proposed class action in Georgia federal court over allegations that it failed to pay workers overtime wages as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

  • March 27, 2025

    HHS To Cut 10,000 Jobs As RFK Jr. Reorganizes Agency

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it would lay off 10,000 employees as part of a "dramatic" plan to restructure the agency and downsize its workforce by about 24%.

  • March 26, 2025

    Sotomayor Urges Caution On Nondelegation Doctrine Revamp

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor cautioned her colleagues during oral arguments Wednesday against using a challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's administration of a broadband subsidy program as a way to resurrect the long-dormant nondelegation doctrine. Several conservative justices, however, seemed willing to disregard that admonition.

  • March 26, 2025

    Healthcare Providers To Pay $63M Over False Spinal Diagnoses

    California-based Seoul Medical Group, its healthcare management service unit and a radiology center will pay $62.85 million to settle allegations they submitted bogus spinal condition diagnoses to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to maximize their revenue, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

  • March 26, 2025

    Feds Seek 2 Years For Device-Maker's $2.4M Tax Evasion

    A Floridian who made millions of dollars on medical devices and pled guilty to evading $2.4 million in taxes should be sentenced to between 24 and 30 months in prison for tax evasion based on the severity of his offense, the U.S. told a federal court Wednesday.

  • March 26, 2025

    AGs Seek 1st OK For $39M Apotex Deal In Price-Fixing Case

    A coalition of 50 state attorneys general on Wednesday asked a Connecticut federal judge to accept a $39.1 million deal settling claims that pharmaceutical company Apotex Corp. schemed with others to fix generic-drug prices, with 70% earmarked for a restitution fund and 30% for consumer notices and attorney fees.

  • March 26, 2025

    False COVID Cure Claims No Longer Feds' 'Current Priority'

    The Trump administration has abandoned another case targeting allegedly false claims that an over-the-counter product could treat, or even cure, COVID-19 by dropping its case against a one-man herbal tea operation.

  • March 26, 2025

    Hospital To Face Doctor's Libel Claim Over Suspension Report

    A North Carolina federal judge has dismissed claims for breach of good faith and emotional distress from a gynecological oncologist's defamation suit against the hospital where he used to work, but let libel and loss of job opportunity claims continue in line with a magistrate judge's recommendation.

  • March 26, 2025

    BCBS Settlement Opt-Outs Ordered To Disclose Funding Deals

    Four law firms representing hospitals that opted out of the landmark $2.8 billion Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust settlement must disclose whether their clients were motivated by a "quick payment" from litigation funders, an Alabama federal judge ordered Tuesday.

  • March 26, 2025

    Ex-CEO Says McGuireWoods Can't Rehash Immunity Appeal

    McGuireWoods LLP and one of its former partners are rehashing immunity defenses in a last-ditch effort to dodge a long-running defamation case, the former CEO of a managed care organization told the North Carolina Court of Appeals in seeking to have the case kicked back down to the trial court.

  • March 25, 2025

    UBH Patients On Remand, CMS Audits And J&J Investor Suit

    Patients challenging United Behavioral Health coverage guidelines for mental health treatment filed their first brief in the case since the Ninth Circuit clarified the scope of the remanded proceedings.

  • March 25, 2025

    Anthem Can't Escape Family's Mental Health Parity Claims

    Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield must face a Virginia family's claim that the company violated a federal benefits law by refusing to cover an adolescent girl's stay in a residential mental health facility, with a Virginia federal judge deeming the suit strong enough to survive a dismissal motion Tuesday.

  • March 25, 2025

    Trans Military Ban Rests On 'Unconvincing' Proof, Judge Says

    A Washington federal judge hinted Tuesday he might block the Trump administration's ban on transgender troops later this week, expressing doubt that the U.S. Department of Defense has evidence to back its stance that gender dysphoria alone makes people unfit for military service.

  • March 25, 2025

    ND Justices Weigh Liberty Rights In Abortion Ban Challenge

    North Dakota's top court on Tuesday wrestled with whether a recently passed anti-abortion law violates personal liberty rights and questioned both sides about the meaning of exceptions to the ban written into the law.

Expert Analysis

  • Unpacking Trump Admin Plans For Value-Based Care

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    Recent developments from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation suggest the Trump administration intends to put its own stamp on value-based care, emphasizing cost savings assessment in particular, with its recent cancellation of several payment models that had supported primary care, says Miranda Franco at Holland & Knight.

  • What To Expect For Stem Cell Regulation Under Trump Admin

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    The new administration's push for deregulation, plus the post-Chevron legal landscape, and momentum from key political and industry players to facilitate stem cell innovation may create an opportune backdrop for a significant reduction in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's regulatory framework for stem cells, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • How Importers Can Minimize FCA Risks Of Tariff Mitigation

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    False Claims Act risks are inherent in many tariff mitigation strategies, making it important for importers to implement best practices to identify and report potential violations of import regulations before they escalate, says Samuel Finkelstein at LMD Trade Law.

  • 10 Practical Takeaways From FDA's Biopharma AI Guidance

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    Recent guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides much-needed insight on the usage of artificial intelligence in producing information to support regulatory decision-making regarding drug safety, with implications ranging from life cycle maintenance to AI tool acquisition, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Lawmakers Shouldn't Overlook Rare Disease Therapies' Value

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    As the ORPHAN Cures Act is pending in Congress, policymakers assessing the value of certain drugs for price regulation should consider data beyond what is collected in clinical trials, say Alice Chen at the University of Southern California, and Molly Frean and Yao Lu at Analysis Group.

  • What Trump's Order Means For The Legal Status Of IVF

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    An executive order signed by President Donald Trump last month signals the administration's potential intention to increase protections for in vitro fertilization services, though more concrete actions would be needed to resolve the current uncertainty around IVF access or bring about a binding legal change, says Jeanne Vance at Weintraub Tobin.

  • Mitigating Tariff Risks For Healthcare In US And Canada

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    Healthcare stakeholders should take steps to evaluate the impact of cross-border tariffs, as the historically strong ties between Canada and the U.S. demonstrate the potential for real disruption and harm to the healthcare industry in both countries, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit

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    The outcome of U.S. v. Skrmetti will have critical implications for the rights of transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and will likely affect other areas of law and policy involving transgender individuals, including education, employment, healthcare and civil rights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 6 Laws Transforming Calif.'s Health Regulatory Framework

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    Attorneys at Hooper Lundy discuss a number of new California laws that raise pressing issues for independent physicians and small practice groups, ranging from the use of artificial intelligence to wage standards for healthcare employees.

  • Anticipating Calif. Oversight Of PE Participation In Healthcare

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    A new bill recently introduced in the California Senate revives last year's attempt to increase oversight of healthcare transactions involving private equity groups and hedge funds, meaning that attorneys may soon need to assess the compliance status of existing management relationships and consider modifying contract terms, says Andrew Demetriou at Husch Blackwell.

  • Considering The Future Of AI Regulation On Health Sector

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    As Texas looks to become the next state to pass a comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence, the healthcare industry should consider how AI regulation will continue to evolve in the U.S. and how industry members can keep up with compliance considerations, say attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis.

  • What To Expect From 'Make America Healthy Again' Actions

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    The Make America Healthy Again Commission recently established by President Donald Trump and chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will potentially bring energy and attention to important public health topics, and stakeholders should be aware of pathways for sharing their input and proactively informing proceedings, says Nicholas Manetto at Faegre Drinker.

  • How Citizen Petitions Have Affected Drug Competition

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    In light of recent citizen petitions and proposed legislation regulating such petitions, Omar Robles at Managing Health analyzes the statistics of the extent to which citizen petitions have been filed, and to what extent they have delayed competition in prescription pharmaceuticals.