EpiPen RICO Ruling Opens Door for Private AKS Enforcement
Part Two: The MFN Drug Pricing Rule and the Rebate Rule: Where Do We Go From Here?
Part One: Two new Medicare Drug Pricing Rules in One Day: What are the MFN and the Rebate Drug Pricing Rules?
Drug Pricing Initiatives During the Trump Presidency
As prescription drug costs remains a significant, and largely bipartisan, issue for state and federal legislators, we continue to see activity focused on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) as we approach the last quarter of...more
A new litigation trend is emerging regarding fiduciaries of health plans and their duties to prudently evaluate fees being charged by pharmacy benefit managers (“PBM”). Two Fortune 50 employers, Johnson & Johnson and Wells...more
Welcome to our fourth issue of The Health Record - our healthcare law insights e-newsletter. In this edition, we address a variety of topics including a recent SCOTUS ruling and the potential impact on CMS, issues of patient...more
At an Open Commission Meeting on August 1, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) presented a report prepared by its staff entitled Pharmacy Benefit Managers: The Powerful Middlemen Inflating Drug Costs and Squeezing Main...more
Last week, former Wells Fargo employees filed a class action lawsuit against Wells Fargo and its health plan fiduciaries alleging that Wells Fargo’s self-funded health plan violated ERISA by paying its pharmacy benefits...more
A bipartisan group of attorneys general from 31 states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief in support of a petition for certiorari by Oklahoma’s insurance commissioner to review a decision by the U.S....more
This overview is excerpted from Manatt on Health, Manatt’s subscription service that provides in-depth insights and analysis focused on the legal, policy and market developments....more
In the wake of the FTC’s July 9 vote to release an interim staff report on PBMs, several media outlets are reporting that the Commission is poised to sue large PBMs. The timing and nature of the litigation is unspecified,...more
Join our 2024 Mid Year Pharmacy Benefits Update webinar for a comprehensive analysis of the current pharmacy landscape. This informative session will delve into key trends, including the evolving biosimilars market, the...more
I read the Lewandowski v. Johnson & Johnson class action complaint and couldn’t help but wonder – are plans and participants doomed, or can employers take proactive steps to satisfy their fiduciary duties and potentially...more
According to a survey of 150 large U.S. employers, the median percentage of healthcare dollars spent on pharmacy increased from 21% in 2021 to 24% in 2022, and is the fastest rising component of healthcare....more
In recent remarks prepared for delivery to the White House roundtable on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan made clear that the FTC’s investigation into PBM practices continues....more
News Briefs - U.S. to Accelerate Medicare Payments in Wake of Cyberattack - The U.S. government said it will accelerate Medicare and Medicaid payments to some hospitals hurt by a hack at insurer UnitedHealth's technology unit...more
Although we are only two and a half months in, 2024 has already seen its fair share of impactful 340B developments on both the litigation and legislative fronts....more
On February 6, 2024, the New York State Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) released “pre-proposed” consolidated rulemaking related to the business practices of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (“PBMs”) licensed to operate in...more
The New York State Department of Financial Services has issued draft proposed comprehensive regulations of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in an attempt to eliminate anti-competitive activity and control prescription drug...more
Employers that cover Florida employees under their prescription drug plans are now prohibited from imposing mandatory mail-order requirements and are required to provide a sixty-day continuity of care period following midyear...more
On November 7, 2023, the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine held a taxpayer’s receipts from the performance of pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services should be apportioned using a look-through approach. Specifically, the...more
Earlier this month, the American Society of Pharmacy Law hosted its annual conference in San Antonio, TX. This gathering of industry leaders provided a unique opportunity to delve into the ever-evolving landscape of pharmacy...more
The Louisiana Insurance Department (“Department”) recently fined Express Scripts Administrators, LLC (“ESA”) $275,000 and MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc. (“MedImpact”) $250,000 for allegedly failing to pay electronically...more
On October 31, 2023, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) released a notice withdrawing its proposed market conduct rules for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The proposed rules, announced August 16,...more
On September 18, 2023, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (“OIR”) published proposed rules to implement provisions of the Prescription Drug Reform Act (Florida Senate Bill 1550) governing Pharmacy Benefit Managers...more
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) take note! Under Florida’s new Prescription Drug Reform Act, PBMs must be licensed as an insurance administrator (also known as a third-party administrator, or TPA). Under this new law, any...more
Superintendent of Financial Services Adrienne A. Harris recently announced proposed regulations to govern the conduct of PBMs operating in New York state. If adopted, these regulations would establish strong protections for...more
The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) recently announced the publication of proposed regulations that would increase the state’s oversight of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). According to DFS, the...more