Policy & Compliance
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March 31, 2026
Split 4th Circ. Affirms Injunction On W.Va. Drug Discount Law
A split Fourth Circuit panel sided with a trio of pharmaceutical manufacturers Tuesday that opposed a West Virginia law addressing drug delivery in the 340B program, saying the law attempted to reshape the "contractual bargain" Congress makes with private parties through its spending powers.
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March 31, 2026
Novartis Seeks To Block New Wash. 340B Drug-Pricing Law
Novartis has called on a Washington federal judge to block a new state law it claims illegally expands the subsidies manufacturers must pay under the federal government's 340B Drug Pricing Program, arguing drugmakers will lose millions of dollars annually if the law is allowed to take effect in June.
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March 31, 2026
Anesthesia Parent Can't Duck Antitrust Suit, But Affiliate Can
The parent company of U.S. Anesthesia Partners Inc. remains in the crosshairs of a private antitrust suit accusing it of trying to monopolize Texas anesthesia services, while a federal judge dismissed for now claims against an affiliate that he said was too far removed from the alleged rollup strategy.
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March 31, 2026
Compound GLP-1s, Anesthesia Prices And More In Court
Law360 Healthcare Authority looks at appellate arguments from compounding pharmacies alleging they were wrongly barred from making their own versions of weight loss drugs, the Federal Trade Commission's suit over an alleged “rollup” of Texas anesthesiology practices, and other significant litigation developments this week.
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March 31, 2026
Medical Center Ousted Worker Over Leg Injury, EEOC Says
A New Mexico medical center illegally fired an employee after failing to find her a new role that would have better accommodated her leg injury that caused lasting damage, according to a suit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed Tuesday.
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March 31, 2026
Big Insurers Must Face 'Repricing' Antitrust Claims
Major insurance companies including Aetna, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealth must face claims they conspired to reduce reimbursements to healthcare providers, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled Monday, finding that the doctors' allegations could constitute antitrust violations.
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March 31, 2026
Mich. Judge OKs Bias Training For Healthcare Workers
A Michigan judge has upheld a state requirement that healthcare professionals undergo implicit bias training to obtain or renew their licenses, finding the mandate was within the state licensing bureau's power.
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March 31, 2026
FTC's Probes Of Trans Care Orgs Raise Jurisdiction Concerns
The Federal Trade Commission's demands for information from transgender care organizations may be exceeding the agency's authority to investigate medical nonprofits.
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March 31, 2026
As FCA Meets 340B, Geyser Of Qui Tam Suits May Erupt
A Ninth Circuit ruling on the intersection of two of the most contentious laws in healthcare may be a combustible mix that triggers a new wave of fraud litigation.
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March 31, 2026
Insurer Says Yale Was 'Misleading' In $4.1M Transplant Claim
A Liberty Mutual unit accused Yale University's health system of making "serious and material misstatements" about a plan member's bone marrow transplant, the insurer said in its answer and counterclaim for a declaratory judgment that it can continue to deny the $4.1 million claim.
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March 31, 2026
Justices Reject Colorado's LGBTQ+ 'Conversion' Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a Colorado ban on therapy intended to change a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity amounts to viewpoint discrimination against a Christian therapist, a finding that split the court's liberal wing and crossed ideological lines.
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March 30, 2026
Don't Set Special IP Rules For 'Skinny Labels,' Justices Told
Drugmakers, industry groups, hospitals and scholars have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a decision letting a patent suit proceed over a generic drug using a so-called skinny label, saying the generics company is seeking unwarranted special protections that would upend patent law.
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March 30, 2026
FCA Qui Tams Are Unconstitutional, Eli Lilly Tells Justices
The False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional, drugmaker Eli Lilly has told the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to overturn a Seventh Circuit decision upholding a $183 million trial win for a whistleblower who claimed the drug company hid how much it charged for Medicaid-covered drugs.
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March 30, 2026
FTC Says Anesthesia Group Cheered While Raising Prices
The Federal Trade Commission pushed back against a bid from U.S. Anesthesia Partners to avoid facing trial on claims that it monopolized the market through a rollup strategy, saying the company celebrated its ability to dramatically increase prices.
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March 27, 2026
5th Circ. Won't Revive Ex-Health IT Co. Worker's Bias Suit
The Fifth Circuit upheld a healthcare information technology provider's win over a Black former manager's lawsuit claiming she was fired for complaining that a white male colleague was treated better, saying she couldn't overcome the company's rationale for letting her go.
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March 27, 2026
Pa. Health Network's $1.15M 401(k) Suit Deal Gets Final OK
A Pennsylvania federal judge gave the green light to a $1.15 million deal resolving a proposed class action alleging a healthcare system misused workers' forfeited employee retirement plan funds and failed to rein in administrative fees.
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March 27, 2026
Insurer Rips Sanctions Bid In Opioid Coverage Dispute
An insurer asked an Illinois federal court to reject a drug wholesaler's bid for sanctions in a dispute over coverage for underlying opioid litigation, saying the accusations that it intentionally destroyed pertinent evidence are, "at best, based on half-truths and misstatements of fact."
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March 27, 2026
Hospital Escapes Ex-Workers' 401(k) Forfeiture, Fund Suit
A New York federal judge on Friday tossed a proposed class action against a healthcare company alleging mismanagement of an employee 401(k) plan, concluding that ex-workers who sued lacked standing to bring some claims while the remaining allegations weren't sufficiently backed up to state a claim for violating federal benefits law.
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March 26, 2026
Elanco Beats Investor Suit Over Dog Drug's Reg Challenges
A Maryland federal judge Thursday dismissed a proposed securities class action against Elanco Animal Health Inc. that claimed the animal pharmaceuticals company misled investors about the safety of a canine dermatitis treatment it was developing and its timeline for the medication's commercial launch.
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March 26, 2026
DOJ Says NY-Presbyterian Blocked Lower-Cost Health Plans
New York-Presbyterian Hospital is forcing major health insurers to contract with it on an "all-or-nothing" basis, which is driving up healthcare costs in New York City and violates federal antitrust law, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday.
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March 25, 2026
AbbVie, Novartis Sue Wash. Over New 340B Drug-Pricing Law
Pharmaceutical giants Novartis and AbbVie say a new Washington state law illegally expands drugmakers' obligations to provide deeply discounted medications under the federal government's 340B Drug Pricing Program, according to a pair of legal challenges launched in federal court on Wednesday.
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March 25, 2026
3rd Circ. Probes Free Speech Impact Of NJ Telemedicine Law
A Third Circuit panel on Wednesday examined whether New Jersey can bar out-of-state doctors from consulting with Garden State patients via phone or video without a state license, pressing both sides on where to draw the line between protected speech and the regulated practice of medicine.
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March 25, 2026
Insurers, Brokers Can't Exit Medicare Advantage Steering Suit
A Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday largely rejected a bid by insurers and brokers to toss claims that they colluded in a kickback scheme to steer Medicare Advantage customers to certain companies and to push away disabled individuals.
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March 25, 2026
PBMs Say Mich. Price-Fixing Suit Lacks Specifics
For the second time, pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts Inc. and Prime Therapeutics LLC asked a Michigan federal judge on Monday to toss a price-fixing suit filed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, arguing that the state has no standing to file the suit.
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March 25, 2026
Judge Trims SEC Fraud Case Over Cancer Drug Claims
A Massachusetts federal judge greenlighted U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claims against two of three former pharmaceutical executives accused of concealing from investors the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "harsh critiques" about a cancer drug.
Expert Analysis
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Assessing Compliance Risks Around TrumpRx Participation
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.
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Predicting Actual Impact From CDC's New Vaccine Guidance
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.
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What Rescheduling Means For Cannabis Labels, Marketing
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.
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What's At Stake In Possible Circuit Split On Medicaid Rule
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.
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Courts' Rare Quash Of DOJ Subpoenas Has Lessons For Cos.
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.
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Remote Patient Monitoring Is At Regulatory Inflection Point
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.
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Utah's AI Prescription Renewal Pilot Could Inform Policy
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.
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Ramped Up Psychedelic Production Carries Opportunity, Risk
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.
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New Biotech Nat'l Security Controls May Have Blunted Impact
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.
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Takeaways From The DOJ Fraud Section's 2025 Year In Review
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.
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Traditional FCA Enforcement Surges Amid Shifting Priorities
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.
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3 Key Ohio Financial Services Developments From 2025
Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw particularly notable developments in 2025, including a significant Ohio Supreme Court decision on creditor disclosure duties to guarantors in Huntington National Bank v. Schneider, and some major proposed changes to the state's Homebuyer Plus program, says Alex Durst at Durst Kerridge.
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Rescheduling Cannabis Marks New Tax Era For Operators
As the attorney general takes steps to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, operators and advisers should prepare by considering the significant changes this will bring from tax, state, industry and market perspectives, says Michael Harlow at CohnReznick.