Policy & Compliance
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April 10, 2025
AbbVie Wants ND, SD Drug Pricing Laws Blocked
Drugmaker AbbVie Inc. on Thursday asked federal courts to block new drug-pricing laws in both North Dakota and South Dakota, alleging that the measures requiring the company to transfer products to certain pharmacies at discounted prices are unconstitutional.
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April 10, 2025
Vanda Sues FDA To Block Off-Label Use Drug Promo Regs
A pharmaceutical company, a Texas physician and an often-jet lagged traveler sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Texas federal court Wednesday seeking to block marketing restrictions on the off-label uses of FDA-approved drugs, arguing that long-standing rules and Biden-era guidance runs afoul of the First Amendment.
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April 10, 2025
Calif. Centers Used 'Body Brokers' In $10M Scam, BCBS Says
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma slammed two California recovery centers and their owners with a lawsuit Thursday, alleging they spearheaded a $10 million kickback scheme to employ "body brokers" to find Indigenous patients for substance treatment facilities where they went to appalling lengths to stop them from leaving.
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April 10, 2025
Holmes Seeks Full 9th Circ. Review Of Theranos Fraud Appeal
Convicted Theranos Inc. founder Elizabeth Holmes has asked the Ninth Circuit for en banc review of a panel's decision to affirm her criminal fraud conviction and 11-year prison sentence, saying problems with the opinion included a "time-warping relevance theory."
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April 10, 2025
Man Admits To $12.5M PPE Investment Fraud
A California man pled guilty Thursday to defrauding investors of $12.5 million by telling them he had a business opportunity to manufacture personal protective equipment and to create an aerosol product that would kill the coronavirus, Texas federal prosecutors said.
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April 10, 2025
Mich. Justices Mull Hospital's Liability For Contract Doc's Acts
The Michigan Supreme Court on Thursday weighed a Corewell Health hospital's possible vicarious liability for independent physicians practicing within the hospital, with one justice pushing back on the idea that liability would be limited to emergency rooms.
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April 09, 2025
Mass. Justices Asked To Raise Bar For Pension, Benefit Loss
Massachusetts' highest court was asked on Wednesday to adopt a more expansive interpretation of what constitutes cruel or unusual punishment or an excessive fine in the case of a former state trooper whose $1 million public pension and healthcare benefits were forfeited after his conviction in an overtime fraud case.
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April 09, 2025
2nd Circ. Allows Takeda To Appeal Actos Antitrust Class Cert.
A split Second Circuit will allow Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. to immediately appeal a New York federal judge's ruling certifying two classes of direct purchasers and end payors in consolidated antitrust actions accusing the company of unlawfully inflating the price of its diabetes treatment Actos by delaying the entry of generic alternatives.
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April 09, 2025
Fertility Care Concerns Linger As PWFA Regs Face Revision
Efforts to pare down the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's regulations requiring workplace accommodations for pregnancy-related conditions have centered largely on abortion, but experts warn that access to fertility treatment — which workers seek more frequently — may also become harder to get.
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April 09, 2025
Data Co. Can't Make DOL Accept Health Plan, Judge Says
A data-mining company can't force the U.S. Department of Labor to acknowledge that a health insurance plan offered in exchange for participants' user data is covered by federal benefits law, a Texas federal judge ruled, saying the case's thin record prevented the court from deciding issues the Fifth Circuit told it to consider.
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April 09, 2025
Religious Mission Justifies Philly Injection Site, 3rd Circ. Told
Counsel for a nonprofit seeking to open a safe injection site in Philadelphia told the Third Circuit Wednesday that it qualified as a religious organization immune from prosecution, despite not having any spiritual language in its incorporation documents.
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April 08, 2025
NJ Hospital Can Face Claims In Life Support Malpractice Suit
A New Jersey appeals court won't let a hospital escape claims that it wrongfully took a patient off life support, saying Tuesday the trial court was too hasty in tossing the suit under the New Jersey Declaration of Death Act.
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April 08, 2025
Calif. Bill Aims To Limit Insurer Control Over Addiction Care
A number of U.S. states have made it illegal for insurance providers to override a physician's judgment concerning the addiction treatments necessary for their patient, be it for inpatient care or other kinds of therapies. A recently introduced bill could make California the latest to join the trend.
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April 08, 2025
5th Circ. Orders New Trial In $140M Healthcare Fraud Case
A Fifth Circuit panel shot down a bid from a suspect in a $140 million healthcare fraud scheme to forestall a second trial after alleged prosecutorial misconduct sank the first, finding the government hadn't intentionally withheld evidence.
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April 08, 2025
OIG Finds $1.8M Of Potential 'Overbillings' In VA Contract
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General said Tuesday that a transportation services contractor may have overbilled the department by about $1.8 million over two years and recommended that VA contracting officials consider whether they could or should try to recover any money.
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April 08, 2025
Expert And 'Worthlessness Theory' Ejected In Valsartan MDL
Patients and insurers who claim they were ripped off when purchasing the contaminated blood pressure medication Valsartan won't be able to argue that the drug was worthless as a matter of law, a New Jersey federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation has ruled, casting doubt that the plaintiffs will secure a full refund for their purchase.
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April 08, 2025
Medicare Drug Price Plan Tramples Constitution, 3rd Circ. Told
New Jersey federal court rulings preserving the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' ability to negotiate prices with drug companies should be overturned on constitutional grounds, pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk and Novartis told the Third Circuit during oral arguments Tuesday.
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April 08, 2025
UnitedHealth Puts Anesthesiologists' Antitrust Suit To Sleep
A New York federal judge tossed an antitrust lawsuit accusing a United Healthcare unit of using its market power in the New York metropolitan area to cut reimbursement rates to anesthesia providers by 80% in its public-sector employee health plan, while enlisting MultiPlan to pressure providers into accepting the rates.
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April 08, 2025
Md. Board Enacts Expungement Rule For Physician Records
Maryland doctors who have faced administrative action for failing to pay taxes or attend continuing education classes can have their public records wiped clean under a new rule from the state Board of Physicians.
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April 08, 2025
2nd Circ. Rejects Biden Diary Thief's Appeal Over Medical Info
The Second Circuit denied an appeal on Tuesday from a woman who pled guilty to stealing a diary belonging to former President Joe Biden's daughter, rejecting her arguments that a judge was wrong to allow a probation officer to disclose her presentencing report and prior medical records to mental health providers without first obtaining consent.
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April 07, 2025
CMS' Nursing Home Staffing Requirements Struck Down
A Texas federal judge on Monday struck down new staffing standards for nursing homes participating in Medicare or Medicaid, ruling that federal health officials overstepped their authority by establishing a one-size-fits-all requirement.
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April 07, 2025
Policy Group Tells 4th Circ. Drug Discount Law Needs Reform
The Fourth Circuit on Monday allowed a Boston-based think tank to file an amicus brief supporting a district court's injunction against a West Virginia law that pharmaceutical companies and lobbyists claim unconstitutionally expands a federal drug discount program.
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April 07, 2025
Drug Buyers, Generics Cos. Fight Over Bellwether Litigation
Generic drug buyers vied Friday with the pharmaceutical companies they've accused of price-fixing over how to shape the first rounds of long-gestating Pennsylvania federal court litigation that the plaintiffs want heard in separate consecutive trials and that the drugmakers want combined.
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April 07, 2025
AGs Announce $335M Opioid Deal With Mylan
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday said her office and those of other states reached a $335 million deal with Mylan to help combat the opioid crisis.
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April 07, 2025
Ex-Conn. Budget Official Plans To Testify In Corruption Cases
Twice-indicted former Connecticut budget official Konstantinos Diamantis plans to testify in two upcoming federal corruption trials, his attorney revealed Monday during a scheduling call that snapped into focus the timeline for both cases.

Enforcement Delays Ahead Amid HHS Regional Closures
The Trump administration's overhaul of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' in-house legal team is likely to slow enforcement proceedings and other compliance activities involving Medicare providers.

Unnecessary Surgeries Drive Rare Va. Hospital Criminal Case
An unusual indictment in Virginia details grave allegations against a former doctor, including unnecessary surgeries and bogus cancer diagnoses. With former OB-GYN Javaid Perwaiz already in federal prison, the hospital where many of the procedures occurred is now facing criminal charges.

Ky. Abortion Ban Carveouts Stir Concerns Over Clarity
Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill spelling out medical exceptions to the state's strict post-Dobbs abortion ban. The bill, drafted by anti-abortion lawmakers, is stoking concerns that it could lead to more restrictions in emergency situations.
Expert Analysis
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4th Circ. Health Data Ruling Opens Door To State Law Claims
In Real Time Medical v. PointClickCare, the Fourth Circuit recently clarified that state law claims can rest in part on violations of a federal law that prohibits electronic health information blocking, expanding legal risks for health IT companies and potentially creating exposure to a range of competitive implications, say attorneys at BCLP.
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Unpacking Trump Admin Plans For Value-Based Care
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.
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What To Expect For Stem Cell Regulation Under Trump Admin
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.
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How Importers Can Minimize FCA Risks Of Tariff Mitigation
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.
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10 Practical Takeaways From FDA's Biopharma AI Guidance
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.
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Lawmakers Shouldn't Overlook Rare Disease Therapies' Value
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.
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What Trump's Order Means For The Legal Status Of IVF
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.
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Mitigating Tariff Risks For Healthcare In US And Canada
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.
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What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit
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.
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6 Laws Transforming Calif.'s Health Regulatory Framework
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.
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Anticipating Calif. Oversight Of PE Participation In Healthcare
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.
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Considering The Future Of AI Regulation On Health Sector
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.
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What To Expect From 'Make America Healthy Again' Actions
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.