Policy & Compliance

  • February 18, 2026

    Blue Shield Of Calif. Says 'Ghost Network' Action Falls Flat

    Trouble finding a mental health care therapist is unfortunate but not something that an entire class action can be based on, argued Blue Shield of California, urging a federal judge to dismiss a suit accusing the company of maintaining a "ghost network" directory of providers who don't exist or don't accept new patients.

  • February 18, 2026

    Sandoz's Case Against Amgen Over Enbrel Biosimilar Tossed

    A Virginia federal court found that Sandoz Inc. should have brought its claims accusing Amgen of blocking competition for Enbrel in a previous patent dispute over the blockbuster autoimmune disease treatment.

  • February 18, 2026

    RFK Jr.-Founded Group Seeks Role In Vaccine Lawsuit

    An organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked a Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday to let it join the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary as a defendant in a lawsuit challenging recent changes to childhood vaccination schedules so the group can pursue counterclaims against the plaintiffs.

  • February 18, 2026

    J&J Unit Appeals $442M Catheter Antitrust Loss To 9th Circ.

    Johnson & Johnson's Biosense Webster health tech unit urged the Ninth Circuit to overturn a California federal jury's $147 million antitrust verdict — later upped to $442 million — over the company withholding cardiac mapping support to hospitals using third-party reprocessed catheters, saying Innovative Health LLC didn't prove its allegations of unlawful tying.

  • February 18, 2026

    Meta Pixel Tracking Suit Tossed Over Lack Of Standing

    A North Carolina federal judge has ruled that a prospective class of Nurse.com users lacked standing to sue the website's operator for Video Privacy Protection Act violations for allegedly sharing customers' information with Meta Platforms Inc. without permission.

  • February 18, 2026

    4th Circ. Backs Military Policy Banning HIV-Positive Enlistees

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday upheld a U.S. Department of Defense policy that bans HIV-positive Americans from enlisting, deferring to the military's judgment that it must have healthy and fit service members who do not require consistent treatment for chronic medical conditions. 

  • February 18, 2026

    Texas AG Says Hospital Violated Gender-Affirming Care Ban

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Children's Health System of Texas on Wednesday, alleging it performed gender-affirming care on children through puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones despite a state law banning the treatments.

  • February 18, 2026

    Conn. Doctor Accused Of Taking Patient Data Must Pay $509K

    An obstetrician-gynecologist must pay about $509,000 to her former practice, which is suing her for allegedly pilfering its patients and trade secrets, after a Connecticut state judge confirmed an arbitration award against her that arose from her own accusations of unpaid compensation.

  • February 18, 2026

    FDA Changes Mind, Will Review Moderna MRNA Flu Vaccine

    Moderna on Wednesday said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided to review its application for its influenza vaccine, a week after the agency refused to consider the application for the new experimental vaccine.

  • February 18, 2026

    Anti-Abortion Clinics Lose Free Speech Suit Over Mass. Ads

    A Massachusetts federal judge has tossed a lawsuit over a state-funded ad campaign warning consumers about potentially misleading or inaccurate information provided by a group of anti-abortion pregnancy resource centers, finding that the state hadn't prohibited the clinics from operating — and that the public officials have the same free speech rights as the clinics.

  • February 17, 2026

    Chancery Disallows Arbitration In No Surprises Act Cases

    In a "narrow" first impression ruling, a Delaware magistrate in Chancery has rejected claims that the federal No Surprises Act provides for a narrow private right to seek the enforcement of an arbitration award in litigation over medical bills involving the act.

  • February 17, 2026

    Judge Rips Drugmakers' Borderline 'Disingenuous' Appeal Bid

    A Connecticut federal judge has rejected generic-drug makers' request for a quick appeal of his ruling denying them summary judgment on states' claims they engaged in an "overarching conspiracy" to fix prices, slamming the request for being borderline "disingenuous," mischaracterizing his reasoning and ignoring direct evidence of alleged wrongdoing.

  • February 17, 2026

    Oregon Racing to Block Predatory Hospice Schemes

    As California's revamped laws trigger a massive crackdown on hospice fraud, Oregon lawmakers are moving to protect their residents against an influx of predatory operators. The state currently lacks robust hospice regulations, making it an attractive target for bad actors seeking a foothold as they are pushed out of neighboring markets, palliative care advocates say. 

  • February 17, 2026

    FDA Targets 'Emotional' Ads In New Enforcement Campaign

    Federal regulators' quick objection to a Novo Nordisk commercial touting its new weight loss pill as a chance to "live lighter" is designed to send a message to drugmakers and discourage them from making emotional appeals that promise patients a better life, experts say.

  • February 17, 2026

    Colo. Judge Allows Hospital To Pause Gender-Affirming Care

    A Colorado state judge declined to reinstate gender-affirming care for transgender youth patients of Children's Hospital Colorado, ruling that ordering the hospital to resume providing the care could risk the hospital's ability to provide pediatric care to other patients.

  • February 13, 2026

    RFK Jr. Taps Ex-Jones Day Atty For FDA Senior Counselor

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has named a former Jones Day partner as one of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's senior counselors, according to an announcement.

  • February 13, 2026

    States' Generic Drugs Antitrust Case Headed Toward Trial

    A Connecticut federal judge has mostly refused to side with pharmaceutical companies facing states' generic drug price-fixing litigation against them, ruling that there are genuine disputes of material fact as to drug distribution chains and the states' antitrust standing and teeing up the case for trial.

  • February 13, 2026

    Docs Urge Judge To Block CDC's Childhood Vaccine Changes

    Doctors organizations Friday urged a Massachusetts federal judge to stop the government from implementing its new, shorter list of recommended vaccines for children and prevent the next meeting of a committee they say has been tainted by anti-vaccine influence.

  • February 13, 2026

    Iowa AG Urges 8th Circ. To Unblock Parts Of State PBM Law

    The state of Iowa urged the Eighth Circuit on Friday to lift a preliminary block on parts of a law limiting pharmacy benefit managers' power to set drug prices in the Hawkeye State, arguing a lower court judge erred in holding that parts of the policy were federally preempted.

  • February 13, 2026

    Breast Surgery Patients Want ERISA Class Cert. Rethink

    A United Healthcare plan member asked a New Jersey federal judge to rethink her decision denying class certification in a suit alleging the insurer systematically refused to cover postmastectomy breast reconstruction claims, arguing the court overlooked evidence showing that common issues could be resolved on a classwide basis.

  • February 13, 2026

    FDA Removes Boxed Warnings From HRT Products

    Six menopause hormone therapies will no longer have warnings on their label about heart disease, breast cancer and dementia, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it removed them so that women can make decisions "free from exaggeration or fear."

  • February 12, 2026

    Trump Admin. Blocked From Cutting $600M In Health Funding

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating more than $600 million in public health funding to four Democratic-led states, saying the states will likely succeed in showing they are unconstitutionally being targeted due to political or policy objectives.

  • February 12, 2026

    Feds Charge 2 Foreign Nationals Over $10M Healthcare Fraud

    Federal officials in Chicago announced healthcare fraud charges Thursday against two natives of Pakistan who allegedly made $10 million by using fake medical companies to submit Medicare and other health benefit claims for items and services they never provided.

  • February 12, 2026

    DC Circ. Judge Rips Into Insurer In CMS Rating Case

    A Louisiana insurer found a tough critic in one D.C. Circuit judge Thursday as it argued that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services used an unfair method to assess its "star ratings" for insurance plans, with the jurist saying the company seemed like it "just wanted whatever interpretation will give you a higher score."

  • February 12, 2026

    Ex-Pharma Exec Fights AGs' Quick Win Bid In Antitrust Case

    A former pharmaceutical marketing executive urged a Connecticut federal court to reject summary judgment sought against him by state attorneys general pursuing wider price-fixing litigation against most of the generic drug industry, arguing key cooperating witnesses' questionable credibility makes a trial necessary.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Drug Kickback Ruling Will Make FCA Liability Harder To Prove

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    The First Circuit's ruling in U.S. v. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, requiring the government to prove but-for causation to establish False Claims Act liability based on violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, raises the bar for FCA enforcement and deepens a circuit split that the U.S. Supreme Court may need to resolve, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.

  • Assessing PE Risk After Mass. False Claims Act Amendments

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    A law recently passed in Massachusetts amends the commonwealth's False Claims Act by dramatically expanding potential liability for private equity firms and investors, underscoring the importance of robust diligence and risk assessments for private equity firms conducting transactions in the commonwealth, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • What Trump Actions Mean For Federal Research Funding

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    New guidance from the National Institutes of Health represents a massive policy shift regarding federal funding for researchers at institutions of higher education, contributing to a perfect storm of significant resource shortfalls in upcoming years, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.