Policy & Compliance
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September 19, 2025
CDC Panel Urges Caution On COVID Vax, Punts On Hep B
A panel of advisers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday voted unanimously to recommend that people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine this season do so only after discussing it with their health providers.
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September 18, 2025
Brothers Blame Associate For $90M HIV Drug Fraud Scheme
Two Maryland brothers accused of selling $90 million worth of mislabeled HIV drugs told a Florida federal jury on Thursday that their charges stem from an associate hired for his pharmaceutical industry connections, but who instead lied about the medication's black market origins and told them it was purchased legitimately.
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September 18, 2025
Mich. Top Court To Weigh Medicare's Role In No-Fault Cases
Michigan's highest court will weigh whether an injured driver who opted out of personal injury protection due to his Medicare coverage must offset his damages by billing the insurance program for accident-related medical expenses in a no-fault dispute.
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September 18, 2025
HHS Shutters Miami Organ Donor Org. For 'Unsafe' Practices
Federal health officials have decertified a Miami-based organ procurement organization that arranges organ donations after an investigation found a pattern of "unsafe" practices, marking the first time the federal government has revoked the certification of such a group, according to an announcement Thursday from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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September 18, 2025
Elevance Won't Cover Zepbound To Treat Apnea, Patient Says
Elevance Health, formerly known as Anthem Inc., arbitrarily excludes coverage of FDA-approved Zepbound to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and refuses to consider requests for exceptions by maintaining that the medication is for weight loss, alleges a proposed class action filed by an enrollee in Indiana federal court Tuesday.
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September 18, 2025
Senate Confirms Trump's Pick To Lead DOL Benefits Arm
The Senate confirmed fiduciary liability insurance expert Daniel Aronowitz on Thursday to lead the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits division, which oversees regulation and enforcement of employer-provided health and retirement plans.
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September 18, 2025
Couple Slam NC Defense Attys In Hospital Negligence Appeal
A couple pursuing negligence claims against a local hospital scoffed at the idea that they were lurking on the sidelines waiting to cash in on a favorable outcome in a similar case, telling the North Carolina appeals court to ignore an amicus brief by defense attorneys arguing as much.
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September 18, 2025
1st Circ. Won't Lift Block On HHS Job, Program Cuts
The First Circuit on Wednesday rejected a bid by the Trump administration to let it move ahead with cutting 10,000 jobs and end a number of programs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services while it appeals a Rhode Island federal judge's order temporarily barring the plan.
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September 18, 2025
Withheld Email Not Enough To Revive Doc's Retaliation Suit
A psychiatrist failed to convince the Second Circuit to reinstate his suit claiming a New York City-area hospital system forced him out because he raised patient safety concerns, with the appeals court saying he couldn't show the hospital's omission of an email during discovery was purposeful.
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September 17, 2025
J&J Whistleblowers Defend $1.6B False Claims Act Win
Whistleblowers filed a brief Wednesday in the Third Circuit in a closely watched False Claims Act appeal involving a $1.6 billion judgment against Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen as well as the constitutionality of the FCA's "qui tam" whistleblower provisions, arguing that the act's lawfulness has been settled by its "unbroken 162-year history."
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September 17, 2025
FDA Says Vape Manufacturer Lying About Marketing Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday sued manufacturers of flavored vapes in New Jersey federal court to seek an end to their sales, saying that they are falsely representing that their products had received marketing approval.
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September 17, 2025
3rd Circ. Weighs Limits On NJ Medical Aid In Dying Act
The Third Circuit on Wednesday considered whether a Delaware woman with terminal cancer can challenge New Jersey's residency requirement for medical aid in dying, even though she has yet to be certified as having six months or less to live.
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September 17, 2025
Hospital Agrees To End Retirement Plan Fee, Investment Suit
A New York hospital system told a federal court Wednesday it will end a proposed class action alleging it failed to remove underperforming investment options from its retirement plan and keep an eye on administrative costs, losing millions of dollars of employees' savings.
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September 17, 2025
Ex-CDC Head Says RFK Jr. Urged Vax Schedule Rubber Stamp
Susan Monarez, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told federal lawmakers on Wednesday she was abruptly fired just weeks into her tenure for "holding the line on scientific integrity."
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September 16, 2025
Dr.'s COVID Falsehoods Are Free Speech, Wash. Panel Says
A Washington state appeals court unanimously ruled Tuesday that the Washington Medical Commission overstepped its authority by punishing a doctor for COVID-19 falsehoods he published to his blog, but affirmed the commission's decision to discipline him for prescribing ivermectin to COVID-19 patients.
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September 16, 2025
Harborview Nurses In Ga. Score Collective Status In OT Suit
A pair of nurses who worked at Harborview Health Systems' facility in Rome, Georgia, brought enough evidence to show they and other similarly situated nurses were subjected to pay practices that shorted them on overtime wages to proceed as a collective action, a New York magistrate judge said Tuesday.
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September 16, 2025
Merck Says Vaccine Case 'Poor Vehicle' For Antitrust Review
Merck & Co. told the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a bid from physicians looking to revive antitrust claims over submissions the pharmaceutical giant made to federal regulators concerning its mumps vaccine, arguing that the case is "an exceptionally poor vehicle" for review.
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September 16, 2025
FTC Ends Director Overlap In Healthcare Space
The Federal Trade Commission said three members of Sevita Health's board of directors resigned after enforcers flagged an overlap with the board of a competing provider of specialty healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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September 16, 2025
Oregon Joins Expansion Of '5NP' Acupuncture Practice
Oregon has joined a number of states that have enacted laws that make it easier for people to get a "five needle" therapy with a raft of mental health benefits, including reduced substance withdrawal symptoms.
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September 16, 2025
The Limits On Blue States' Push For Vaccine Policy Control
Democratic-run states are changing vaccine policies as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump health officials move to restrict vaccine access, creating a new policy patchwork. Those state efforts can only go so far, healthcare experts say.
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September 16, 2025
Pharma Tests Drug Price Policies In Court: 3 Cases To Know
Two circuit courts issued notable rulings over the past week upholding laws aimed at lowering prescription drug prices. Elsewhere, insulin makers are seeking a panel rehearing in a proposed class action targeting discount programs. Here, Law360 Healthcare Authority looks at three key drug pricing cases you may have missed.
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September 16, 2025
Wash. Justices Scrutinize Minimum Wage 'Live In' Exclusion
Washington Supreme Court justices on Tuesday pushed counsel for an adult family home on the stance that its "live in" workers are adequately protected by existing laws and regulations, pointing to testimony its employees are always on call and sometimes at risk of physical assault by residents.
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September 16, 2025
Ill. Hospital Nonprofit Must Face Tobacco Fee Suit
An Illinois federal judge refused to toss the bulk of a proposed class action from an Illinois hospital worker who claimed a fee on the employee health plans of tobacco users was discriminatory and breached fiduciary duties under benefits law, finding most allegations sufficiently backed up to survive dismissal.
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September 16, 2025
DC Circ. Asked To Look At ADA Injunction In Segregation Case
Washington, D.C., wants the D.C. Circuit to narrow an injunction commanding the district to help people in Medicaid-funded nursing homes move out of those facilities and into less restrictive forms of care, as the litigation approaches its 15th birthday.
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September 16, 2025
$50B Rural Health Fund: A Primer
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will use a newly created $50 billion rural health fund to entice states to take unhealthy foods out of their food-stamp programs, expand telehealth and embrace other Trump administration priorities.
Expert Analysis
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3 Takeaways From Recent Cyberattacks On Healthcare Cos.
For the healthcare industry, the upward trend in styles of cyberattacks, costs, and entities targeted highlights the critical importance of proactive planning to help withstand the operational, legal and reputational turmoil that can follow a data breach, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Could Shake Up US Pharma
Recent moves from the executive and legislative branches represent a serious attempt to revive and refine the first Trump administration's most-favored-nations model for drug pricing, though implementation could bring unintended consequences for pharmaceutical manufacturers and will likely draw significant legal opposition, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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How Focus On Menopause Care Is Fueling Innovation, Access
Recent legislative developments concerning the growing field of menopause care are creating opportunities for increased investment and innovation in the space as they increase access to education and coverage, say attorneys at Kirkland.
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FDA Commissioner Speech Suggests New Vision For Agency
In his first public remarks as U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Marty Makary outlined an ambitious framework for change centered around cultural restoration, scientific integrity, regulatory flexibility and selective modernization, and substantial enforcement shifts for the food and tobacco sectors, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.
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Customs Fraud Enforcement In The Age Of Tariffs
In the wake of the Trump administration’s new approach toward tariffs, two recent Justice Department developments demonstrate aggressive customs fraud enforcement, with the DOJ emphasizing competitive harm to American businesses, and signaling that investigations will likely involve both civil and criminal enforcement tools, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz and London & Naor.
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Legal Risks For Providers Discussing Psychedelic Therapies
The emergence of psychedelic therapies as potential treatments for mental health conditions and other ailments continues to garner significant attention, but the legal landscape surrounding discussions and referrals remains fraught with complexity, creating potential risks for healthcare providers and institutions, says Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell.
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How NY's FAIR Act Mirrors CFPB State Recommendations
New York's proposed FAIR Business Practices Act, which targets predatory lending and junk fees, reflects the Rohit Chopra-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recommendations to states in a number of ways, including by defining "abusive" conduct and adding a new right to file class actions, says Christian Hancock at Bradley Arant.
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A Breakdown Of Trump's Order On Drug Pricing
The Trump administration may attempt to effectuate through rulemaking a recently issued executive order on lowering drug prices, which would likely have an adverse effect on stakeholders and trigger litigation, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Takeaways From DOJ's 1st Wage-Fixing Jury Conviction
U.S. v. Lopez marked the U.S. Department of Justice's first labor market conviction at trial as a Nevada federal jury found a home healthcare staffing executive guilty of wage-fixing and wire fraud, signaling that improper agreements risk facing successful criminal prosecution, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.
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Deregulation Memo Presents Risks, Opportunities For Cos.
A recent Trump administration memo providing direction to agencies tasked with rescinding regulations under an earlier executive order — without undergoing the typical notice-and-review process — will likely create much uncertainty for businesses, though they may be able to engage with agencies to shape the regulatory agenda, say attorneys at Blank Rome.
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The IRS Shouldn't Go To War Over Harvard's Tax Exemption
If the Internal Revenue Service revokes Harvard's tax-exempt status for violating established public policy — a position unsupported by currently available information — the precedent set by surviving the inevitable court challenge could undercut the autonomy and distinctiveness of the charitable sector, says Johnny Rex Buckles at Houston Law Center.
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New Hospice Regulations Should Enforce Core Principles
As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General prepares to research and expand on oversight of Medicare hospice care, the OIG should keep in mind certain core principles, such as an emphasis on preventing the entry of hospices that raise red flags, says Bill Dombi at Arnall Golden.
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7 Considerations For Conducting Drug Clinical Trials Abroad
With continuing cuts to U.S. Food and Drug Administration staffing motivating some pharmaceutical companies to consider developing drugs abroad, it's important to understand the additional risks and compliance requirements associated with conducting clinical studies in other countries, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.