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Health
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April 29, 2024
Judge Rejects 2 Challenges To Medicare Drug Price Talks
A New Jersey federal judge on Monday shot down a pair of challenges to the Medicare drug price negotiations, extending a string of court victories for the Biden administration as it defends the talks as entirely voluntary.
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April 29, 2024
Radiologist Can't Opine On Surgeon Standards, Court Says
A woman can't maintain a medical negligence suit against a vascular surgeon for allegedly failing to identify a pseudoaneurysm in her leg, which later became infected, a Minnesota appeals court ruled on Monday, saying the patient's medical expert was properly disqualified.
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April 29, 2024
9th Circ. Scraps Trans Law Opinion After High Court Ruling
The Ninth Circuit on Monday scrapped its 2023 opinion blocking an Idaho law that would have banned transgender women from competing in sports following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision allowing enforcement of another Idaho law permitting a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, explaining that a revised opinion is needed.
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April 29, 2024
5th Circ. Ponders If There Were Claims In 'Patient Mistake' Suit
If an insurer says there's no claim, might a claim still have been made, a skeptical Fifth Circuit panel pondered at oral arguments Monday, considering whether a healthcare company's settlement paid for mistakenly approving out-of-state treatment of a Florida Medicaid patient was covered by insurance.
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April 29, 2024
UnitedHealth's Cyberattack Response Is 'Inadequate,' AGs Say
Nearly two dozen state attorneys general urged UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiary Change Healthcare "to do more" to address the fallout from a February cyberattack by Russian ransomware group Blackcat that breached their systems and services, noting their response efforts to the outage "have been inadequate."
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April 29, 2024
Trans Patients In NC, W.Va. Prevail In 4th Circ. Health Fight
The Fourth Circuit on Monday affirmed two lower court decisions ordering North Carolina and West Virginia to end discriminatory exclusions for coverage of gender-affirming medical care for transgender people in both states, finding the lower courts properly struck down the policies as "textbook sex discrimination."
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April 29, 2024
Ex-COO Of Mo. Charity Gets 3 Years For Bribing Officials
The former chief operating officer of a Missouri-based healthcare charity was sentenced to three years in prison Monday after admitting she and her husband, the charity's ex-chief financial officer, conspired to bribe elected officials in Arkansas, according to Missouri federal court documents.
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April 29, 2024
HHS Delays Menthol Cigarette Ban Indefinitely
U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said Friday that a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes has been put on hold for now, citing the need to process considerable feedback from civil rights groups and the criminal justice movement.
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April 29, 2024
Amid Backlash, FDA Extends Control For Lab-Developed Tests
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration inked a final rule Monday that gives the agency broad authority over lab-developed tests by classifying them as medical devices, a move that has drawn ire from congressional leadership and those in the healthcare and life sciences industries.
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April 29, 2024
4th Circ. OKs Sanctions Against Law Firm In Bestwall Ch. 11
A split Fourth Circuit panel on Monday refused to overturn more than $402,000 in sanctions against a law firm and its clients as part of bankruptcy proceedings for a Georgia-Pacific unit, saying the contempt and sanctions orders can't be appealed because they aren't final judgments.
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April 29, 2024
Judge Rejects Class Certification Of Seizure Drug Customers
An Illinois federal judge has rejected a class certification bid in a suit against drugmaker Mallinckrodt and prescription delivery platform Express Scripts, ruling that the plaintiffs were unable to meet their predominance burden as a class.
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April 29, 2024
DOL Wants Quick Win In Pa. Care Co. Wage Suit
The U.S. Department of Labor urged a Pennsylvania federal judge on Monday to grant it a pretrial win in its case accusing a private healthcare agency of failing to pay in-home caregivers overtime and minimum wages, saying the workers are protected by federal wage law.
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April 29, 2024
Conn. Health Co., Competitor Eye Deal In Trade Secrets Suit
Connecticut-based healthcare marketing firm Primacy LLC and a direct competitor accused of poaching top executive Matt Cyr are looking to settle a trade secrets lawsuit by pausing a preliminary injunction hearing and engaging a new magistrate judge to help them work out their differences.
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April 29, 2024
Aetna Can't Arbitrate Aramark's Suit Over Billing Issues
A Texas federal judge refused to boot to arbitration a suit Aramark filed against Aetna accusing the insurer of costing the food services company millions by approving shoddy health benefit claims, saying the allegations fall into a carveout in the parties' arbitration agreement.
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April 29, 2024
DOL Finalizes Rescission Of ACA-Skirting Health Plan Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor on Monday finalized its rescission of an association health plan rule that allowed small businesses to band together to create healthcare plans that skirt certain Affordable Care Act requirements, which a D.C. federal court largely invalidated in 2019.
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April 29, 2024
Philips Inks $1.1B Deal To Resolve CPAP Injury Claims
The plaintiffs' attorneys leading a multidistrict litigation against Koninklijke Philips NV and some of its American subsidiaries announced Monday that they had reached a $1.1 billion settlement agreement for plaintiffs claiming that degraded foam in their breathing machines caused them personal injuries or will require long-term medical monitoring.
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April 26, 2024
Law360 Reveals Titans Of The Plaintiffs Bar
In the past year, plaintiffs have won settlements and judgments for millions and billions of dollars from companies such as Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Facebook and Fox News, with many high-profile cases finally wrapping up after years of fighting. Such cases — involving over-the-top compensation packages, chemical contamination, gender discrimination and data mining — were led by attorneys whose accomplishments earned them recognition as Law360's Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar for 2024.
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April 26, 2024
Ex-McKinsey Partner Says Firm Made Him Opioids 'Scapegoat'
A former McKinsey & Co. partner lobbed defamation claims at the consulting firm, claiming Friday that it lied to the government and the public about his purported role in deleting evidence amid government investigations into the firm's work with opioid manufacturers, an alleged scheme designed to make him the "scapegoat."
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April 26, 2024
HHS Finalizes Bolstered Sexual Orientation Bias Protections
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday unveiled a final rule designed to beef up protections against discrimination in healthcare, in particular protecting access to healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community as well as for other vulnerable populations.
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April 26, 2024
Cannabis Retailer MedMen Files For Bankruptcy In Canada
American cannabis retailer MedMen Enterprises Inc. said Friday that it had filed for bankruptcy in Canada, citing CA$561.5 million ($410.4 million) of liabilities months after the company's stock plunged and executives departed despite having sold off assets to raise money.
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April 26, 2024
Judge Urges End To Suit-Restricting Job Contracts In Mich.
A judge for a Michigan state appeals court has called on the state's high court to put a stop to terms in employment contracts that give workers less time to file civil rights lawsuits, saying such terms allow employers to get away with discriminatory practices.
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April 26, 2024
Ill. Hospital Wins Dismissal Of Genetic Privacy Case
An Illinois state court judge has thrown out a proposed class action accusing Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp. of violating the state's decades-old genetic information privacy law, saying Wednesday the lead plaintiff not only released the hospital system from liability, but was largely asked about her own medical status after she was already offered a job.
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April 26, 2024
Health Co. Not Liable For Cigna Underpayment, 3rd Circ. Says
The Third Circuit on Friday backed a win for a healthcare cost management company in a suit over Cigna's alleged underpayment for plastic surgery, finding the contract between the company and a plastic surgery practice did not guarantee a set payment rate.
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April 26, 2024
Doctor Keeps Trial Win In Death Suit Over Patient's Blood Clot
A Pennsylvania appeals panel has let a primary care physician keep his trial win in a suit over the death of one of his patients from a blood clot, rejecting arguments that the trial court wrongly excluded evidence and unfairly allowed separate attorneys to make opening and closing statements for the doctor and his practice group.
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April 26, 2024
Ex-Conn. Hospital Worker Says He Was Assaulted, Then Fired
Stamford Health Inc. terminated a hospital maintenance worker soon after he suffered a violent assault in the workplace, claiming that he abandoned his job even though it failed to provide him with necessary paperwork to take medical leave, according to an amended lawsuit filed Friday in Connecticut federal court.
Expert Analysis
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.
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Despite HHS Opinion, Gift Card Giveaways Require Caution
Though the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General recently determined that a healthcare consulting firm's gift card plans do not violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, the opinion does not suggest blanket approval for providing gift cards in exchange for referrals, say Ragini Acharya and Matthew Deutsch at Husch Blackwell.
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How Merck Settlement Can Inform Cyberinsurance Approach
This month's settlement in Merck v. ACE spotlights how cyber exclusions have evolved since the significant decision in the case — allowing for insurance coverage despite the presence of a policy war exclusion — and where else corporate risk managers may look for coverage in case of a cyberattack, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.
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Staying Ahead Of The AI Policymaking Curve
With artificial intelligence poised to be the hottest legislative and regulatory topic in 2024, expect the AI policymaking toolbox to continue to expand and evolve as stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad develop, deploy, use and learn more about these technologies, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
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The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2023
Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2023, and explain how they may affect issues related to antitrust, constitutional law, federal jurisdiction and more.
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Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success
Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.
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Series
Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.
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Notes Of Interest From 5th Circ. Illumina-Grail Merger Ruling
Attorneys at Simpson Thacher consider the Fifth Circuit's recent decision upholding the Federal Trade Commission's challenge of the Illumina merger with Grail, its much-needed boost to the Biden administration's antitrust agenda, and some silver linings the decision offers to merging parties.
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DOJ's Biopharma Settlement Raises Anti-Kickback Questions
In the aftermath of the U.S. Department of Justice's settlement with Ultragenyx over genetic testing programs, it may be prudent to reevaluate genetic tests through the lens of the Anti-Kickback Statute and reconsider whether it is proper for free testing programs to be treated like patient assistance programs, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health Law.
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Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument
Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.
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Perspectives
6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice
An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.
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Series
ESG Around The World: Canada
In Canada, multiple statutes, regulations, common law and industry guidance address environmental, social and governance considerations, with debate over ESG in the business realm potentially growing on the horizon, say attorneys at Blakes.
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5 Legal Considerations For Psychedelic Therapy Sector
With multiple developments signaling the rise of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, it is imperative that clinicians understand unique legal nuances ranging from corporate formation to specialized insurance coverage, say Kimberly Chew and Natasha Sumner at Husch Blackwell.
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Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga
Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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How Lease Obligations Can Affect Subchapter V Debt Cap
Two recent bankruptcy rulings in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of New York take opposite positions on whether unmatured lease obligations are considered noncontingent debt for the purposes of calculating debtors' Subchapter V eligibility, say Joseph Orbach and Henry Thomas at Thompson Coburn.