The Weekly Ethical Roundabout

For February 10-17, 2025

Federal:

White House: President Trump has issued an executive order to address chronic disease rates in adult and pediatric populations. Among the directives, the executive order directs federal agencies and federally-funded research institutions to provide transparent data and eliminate conflicts of interest in research as well as directing agencies working with the nation’s food producers to improve the quality of the nation’s produce.

Healthcare Finance News: The District Court of Minnesota (D. Minn.) has dismissed a majority of counts in a class action suit against UnitedHealth Group. Plaintiffs in the case are Medicare Advantage customers of UnitedHealth Group who were denied coverage for post-acute care costs and allege the use of artificial intelligence to review their claims was “unreasonable”. The court held that the Medicare Act preemption provisions preempt five of the plaintiff’s seven claims. The breach of contract and breach of implied covenant of good faith claims will proceed.

Bloomberg Law: The District Court of D.C. (D.D.C.) has granted a pharmaceutical company’s motion for summary judgment against the FDA in a suit involving the Orphan Drug Act (ODA). In NEURELIS INC. v. CALIFF et al, the FDA approved a drug of the plaintiff, Neurelis, Inc., to treat a rare disease. Under the ODA, the FDA is prohibited from approving the same drug for the same condition for seven years, an exclusivity designed to promote drug production for rare diseases. Neurelis brought suit against the FDA for approving a competitor’s drug within the seven-year exclusion period. The court held that the FDA violated the ODA in approving the drug and ordered the FDA’s approval of the competing drug to be vacated.

State:

News from the States: A bill addressing end-of-life care has moved out of committee in the Delaware House. House Bill 140 will permit adult residents of Deleware with a terminal medical condition to request and self-administer medication to end their life. Deleware’s former governor vetoed a similar bill last year citing moral objections but supporters cite the current governor’s support for the new measure.

AP: A bill has passed the Mississippi House to require a review of the medical care provided to the state’s incarcerated populations. Under House Bill 1474, the Department of Health is given authority to review the care provided to inmates and provide recommendations to the Department of Corrections and the Mississippi Legislature regarding inmate medical care.

WZFG: North Dakota legislators have introduced a bill to increase hospital bill transparency for residents. If passed, House Bill 1594 will amend the North Dakota Code to require healthcare facilities in the state to publicize itemized prices for their provided services. The bill would allow the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to withhold licensing for facilities not in compliance with the law and impose civil penalties for noncompliance.

The Texan: A bill introduced in the Texas Senate would require health insurance companies to cover gender transition reversal services. Senate Bill 1257 would require qualifying insurance plans that cover gender transition procedures to also provide coverage for all “adverse consequences related to the enrollee’s gender transition procedure” and any “procedure, treatment, or therapy necessary to manage, reverse, reconstruct from,k or recover” from gender transitioning procedures.

Glances Abroad:

CNE: Tuscany’s regional government has become the first Italian region to pass a death with dignity law. The Italian high court had previously requested that the parliament codify a national law but this has not yet materialized. The Tuscan government based the new law on the recommendations made by the Italian court. Tuscany’s governor has called on other regions to follow suit and independently codify assisted dying laws.