Lawsuit Challenges Federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
A recently filed lawsuit is challenging the constitutionality of the federal Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP). In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana last month, attorneys for a group of plaintiffs alleging they have been seriously injured after they “did the right thing” and received a COVID-19 […]
Have a Story About Private Equity Ownership? The FTC Wants to Hear From You
PHILADELPHIA — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is interested in hearing from physicians about their experiences with private equity involvement in healthcare as well as other marketplace issues, FTC chair Lina Khan said Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “It’s difficult to overstate how valuable your stories, your experiences […]
With Shutdown Likely, Policy Experts Weigh Health Risks
Unless Congress acts to pass a spending package on or before September 30, the federal government is hurtling toward a shutdown. How will that affect federal healthcare programs? Stakeholders and policy experts, including former government officials, shared with MedPage Today their forecasts around which health programs and personnel might be most impacted by a shutdown […]
Appeals Court Backs Some Limits to Abortion Pill Access
A federal appeals court ruled 2-1 Wednesday that the abortion pill mifepristone (Mifeprex) should remain on the market, although with some restrictions. “We conclude that the medical organizations and doctors’ claim as to the [drug’s] 2000 approval [not being valid] is likely barred by the statute of limitations,” wrote Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod of the […]
The Wild West of Online Testosterone Prescribing
Online testosterone peddlers are facing uncertainty as federal officials map the future of telemedicine. At stake is whether they’ll be able to continue prescribing testosterone therapy to patients without ever seeing them in person, a pandemic-era freedom that allows men to avoid being seen strolling into “low T” clinics — but one that has also […]
Feds Spent Even More on PrEP Combo Than Previously Thought
The federal government may have contributed far more to the development of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) than previously estimated, researchers reported. While previous estimates said the federal government spent $50 million on the development of combination tenofovir/emtricitabine, or TDF/FTC (Truvada), it actually spent at least $143 million, according to a new estimate by Frazer Tessema, […]
Texas Mifepristone Case Could Lead to Other Drug Approval Lawsuits, Experts Say
As the nation awaits the final outcome of two federal cases — one in Texas and one in Washington state — involving the abortion drug mifepristone (Mifeprex), legal observers are raising the possibility that the Texas case could have repercussions beyond that single drug. “As monumental as the effects will be for abortion and miscarriage […]
Federal Judge Halts FDA’s Abortion Pill Approval
A federal judge in Texas on Friday suspended the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone (Mifeprex) — the most commonly used drug for medication abortion nationwide. Importantly, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, also stayed the effective date of his order for 7 days to allow the federal […]
Federal Judge Strikes Down ACA’s Preventive Care Coverage Requirements
A federal judge on Thursday struck down the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision requiring all insurers to cover certain preventive services free of charge, angering the law’s supporters. “Individual Plaintiffs need not comply with the preventive care coverage recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued on or after March 23, 2010 [the […]
Right-Wing Judge Invalidates Free Preventive Care
A conservative federal district judge in Texas notorious for his rulings against the Affordable Care Act has struck down a requirement that private insurers cover a variety of preventive services for free. Under the ruling, which came down Thursday, insurers and employers who run plans for employees will have discretion over whether and how to […]