/ en Wed, 30 Apr 2025 02:39:20 -0500 Tue, 11 Mar 25 16:04:32 -0500 /news/headline/2025-03-11-aha-brief-urges-court-oppose-motion-multiplan-end-antitrust-case <p>The AHA March 10 filed a <a href="/amicus-brief/2025-03-11-aha-amicus-brief-challenges-multiplan-inc-motion-dismiss-antitrust-litigation">friend-of-the-court brief</a> in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, urging the court to oppose a motion by data analytics firm MultiPlan to dismiss claims that the company conspired with insurers to reduce out-of-network reimbursements for hospitals and health systems.  <br><br>“[I]t is imperative that courts hold commercial insurers to the same standards as everyone else,” AHA wrote. “If, as Plaintiffs allege, MultiPlan has facilitated collusion among commercial insurers throughout the country, this Court’s intervention will help preserve the viability of many struggling hospitals that cannot survive without competitive reimbursements.” <br> <br>The Federation of ����������s joined the AHA in the filing. </p> Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:04:32 -0500 Litigation /news/headline/2025-02-24-aha-urges-supreme-court-reverse-5th-circuit-ruling-task-force-charge-coverage-preventive-care-services <p>The AHA Feb. 24 filed a <a href="/amicus-brief/2025-02-24-aha-amicus-brief-supreme-court-challenges-5th-circuit-ruling-preventive-care-service-coverage">friend-of-the-court brief </a>in the Supreme Court, urging the court to reverse a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that would jeopardize cost-free access to certain preventive services covered by the Affordable Care Act. The 5th Circuit last year partially <a href="/news/headline/2024-06-21-court-narrows-district-court-injunction-aca-preventative-services-requirement">affirmed</a> a lower court judgement that the Preventive Services Task Force violates the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.  <br> <br>“The Fifth Circuit’s decision impedes access to these vital preventive services,” AHA wrote. “If upheld, millions of patients may have to pay out-of-pocket or be subject to cost-sharing for many of these treatments... The cumulative societal impact of reimposing cost barriers to these services will be monumental, leading to undiagnosed diseases, shorter lifespans, and higher healthcare spending for everyone.”  <br> <br>Joining AHA in the filing were the Catholic Health Association of the United States, Federation of ����������s, America's Essential Hospitals and the Association of American Medical Colleges.</p> Mon, 24 Feb 2025 16:00:45 -0600 Litigation /news/headline/2025-01-13-chamber-commerce-files-lawsuit-against-ftc-changes-premerger-notification-rules <p>The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Jan. 13 filed a <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/assets/documents/Complaint-Chamber-of-Commerce-v.-FTC-E.D.-Tex.pdf">lawsuit</a> against the Federal Trade Commission, saying changes made by the FTC to premerger notification rules under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act are “unnecessary and unlawful.”</p><p>In a statement, the Chamber said the FTC “has failed to justify the need to subject every merger filing to its new burden. During the rulemaking process it never contemplated alternative, less burdensome approaches and understates the costs and overstates the benefits of changing the rule as part of its final analysis. Subjecting thousands of routine mergers and acquisitions to these additional burdens will slow down normal business transactions and increase costs, hurting the economy in the process.”</p><p>The FTC finalized changes to the premerger notification rules, form and instructions under the HSR Act in October. The AHA expressed disappointment with the FTC's changes, <a href="/news/headline/2024-10-11-ftc-issues-ruling-premerger-notification-rules-increases-burden-merging-organizations">saying</a> that the rule “functions as little more than a tax on mergers... The agency already has more than enough information about hospital transactions, and it has shown no hesitation in challenging them. The final rule will just require hospitals to divert time and resources away from patient care towards needless compliance costs.”</p> Mon, 13 Jan 2025 17:02:45 -0600 Litigation /news/headline/2024-12-16-house-judiciary-committee-investigate-cvs-caremark-potential-antitrust-violations <p>Members of the House Judiciary Committee last week <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-12-12%20JDJ%20Massie%20to%20CVS%20re%20PBMs.pdf">announced</a> an investigation of CVS Caremark for potential practices that could limit patient access to innovative services provided by some independent pharmacies. In a letter to CVS Health President and CEO David Joyner, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust, said that large pharmacy benefit managers such as CVS Caremark “can influence independent pharmacies because losing ‘in-network’ status with one of the large PBMs can mean that an independent pharmacy can no longer afford to serve the community that relies on its services.”</p><p>Jordan and Massie also noted a subcommittee hearing in September when witnesses were asked if a large PBM could stifle independent pharmacies if they worked with companies that bypass the PBM network. The congressmen said PBMs “likely do have the power to stifle innovation in that way, and in particular, one witness replied that this type of conduct 'probably happens.'”</p> Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:02:58 -0600 Litigation /news/headline/2024-11-18-aha-files-brief-defend-ruling-favor-mississippis-340b-contract-pharmacy-law <p>The AHA Nov. 15 filed friend-of-the-court briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the <a href="/amicus-brief/2024-11-18-aha-others-challenge-phrma-court-filings-defend-mississippis-340b-contract-pharmacy-law">5th Circuit</a> in support of an earlier denial by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi of preliminary injunctions sought by Novartis and PhRMA against enforcement of the state's 340B contract pharmacy law. The law preserves 340B discounts for drugs dispensed at community pharmacies. <br><br>The AHA also filed friend-of-the-court briefs in the <a href="/amicus-brief/2024-06-18-amicus-brief-aha-defends-mississippi-law-protect-340b-pricing-contract-pharmacies-june-18-2024">Southern District of Mississippi</a> prior to the court’s denial of the injunctions in July. The AHA has filed briefs in similar cases elsewhere, including in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the <a href="/news/headline/2023-04-17-aha-urges-8th-circuit-uphold-arkansas-law-protecting-340b-contract-pharmacies">8th Circuit</a>, which upheld a similar law in Arkansas.<br> <br>Joining AHA in the Nov. 15 filings were 340B Health, the Mississippi Hospital Association, the Rural Hospital Alliance and the American Society for Health-system Pharmacists.</p> Mon, 18 Nov 2024 16:02:02 -0600 Litigation /amicus-brief/2024-10-24-amicus-brief-ahatha-nurse-staffing-rule-amicus-brief-ahca-v-becerra-litigation <p class="text-align-center"><strong>UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT</strong><br><strong>FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS</strong><br><strong>AMARILLO DIVISION</strong></p><p>AMERICAN HEALTH CARE<br>ASSOCIATION; LEADING AGE; TEXAS<br>HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION;<br>ARBROOK PLAZA; BOOKER HOSPITAL<br>DISTRICT; HARBOR LAKES NURSING<br>& REHABILITATION CENTER,</p><p>                                                          <em>Plaintiffs, </em> <br>    <br>                                                               Nos. 2:24-cv-00114-Z-BR (lead case)                                    <br>                                                                2:24-cv-00171 (consolidated case)</p><p>STATE OF TEXAS,</p><p>                                                          <em>Consolidated</em><br><em>                                                          Plaintiff,</em></p><p>                               v.</p><p>XAVIER BECERRA, in his official capacity<br>as Secretary of the United States<br>Department of Health and Human Services;<br>UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF<br>HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES;<br>CHIQUITA BROOKS-LASURE, in her<br>official capacity as Administrator of the<br>Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services;<br>CENTERS FOR MEDICARE &<br>MEDICAID SERVICES,</p><p>                                                      <em>      Defendants.</em></p><p> </p><p class="text-align-center"><strong>BRIEF OF THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION</strong><br><strong>AND THE TEXAS HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION</strong><br><strong>AS AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS</strong><br>                                                          <br><br>             </p> Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:42:01 -0500 Litigation /news/headline/2024-10-07-aha-files-amicus-brief-minnesota-defending-its-340b-contract-pharmacy-law <p>The AHA, 340B Health, the Minnesota Hospital Association and American Society of Health-system Pharmacists Oct. 4 filed an <a href="/amicus-brief/2024-10-07-amicus-brief-motion-dismiss-astrazeneca-pharmaceuticals-lp-v-attorney-general-minnesota-340b-litigation">amicus brief</a> in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, defending the state's law protecting 340B pricing for contract pharmacy arrangements.  <br> <br>The AHA has filed similar briefs in a number of other states, including most recently in <a href="/amicus-brief/2024-08-29-aha-others-file-brief-missouri-prevent-injunction-against-340b-pricing-contract-pharmacy-arrangements">Missouri</a> and <a href="/system/files/media/file/2024/09/aha-others-unopposed-motion-to-file-oversize-amicus-brief-in-support-of-defendants-opposition-to-phrma-and-abbvies-preliminary-injunction-motions-8-16-2024.pdf">West Virginia</a>. Comparable laws have survived similar challenges in <a href="/news/headline/2024-09-30-louisiana-district-court-upholds-state-340b-contract-pharmacy-law">Louisiana</a> and <a href="/news/headline/2024-09-09-report-district-court-denies-preliminary-injunction-upholding-maryland-law-protecting-340b-pricing">Maryland</a>.</p> Mon, 07 Oct 2024 16:06:43 -0500 Litigation /news/headline/2024-10-07-aha-files-amicus-brief-challenging-district-court-decision-rendering-idr-awards-unenforceable <p>The AHA filed an amicus <a href="/amicus-brief/2024-10-04-amicus-brief-guardian-flight-llc-med-trans-corporation-v-health-care-service-corporation">brief</a> Oct. 4 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit challenging a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, which ruled that independent dispute resolution awards under the No Surprises Act are judicially unenforceable. The AHA argued the district court's decision was inconsistent with longstanding interpretations of the law and would threaten serious harm to providers. <br> <br>"[T]he district court interpreted the NSA to render entire sections of it nugatory," AHA wrote. "There is no need for an IDR process — or any of the NSA’s other payment mechanisms — if nothing requires insurers to render payment upon an IDR determination." The district court’s interpretation of the No Surprises Act “gives insurers significant leverage to demand confiscatory discounts from out-of-network providers, as well as to exact across-the-board rate cuts from in-network providers… Both in- and out-of-network providers will thus find themselves perpetually underpaid or even uncompensated for their valuable services, and patients will lose providers and critical care as a result,” the brief notes. <br><br>The American Medical Association, Federation of ����������s and the Texas Medical Association joined AHA in the brief.</p> Mon, 07 Oct 2024 16:03:25 -0500 Litigation /amicus-brief/2024-10-07-abbvie-inc-et-al-v-keith-m-ellison-attorney-general-minnesota-motion-dismiss-340-b-litigation <p class="text-align-center"><strong>UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT</strong><br><strong>FOR THE DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA</strong><br> </p><p>ABBVIE INC., et al.,<br>                <br>                    <em> Plaintiffs,</em><br>                      <em>    v.   </em>              Case No. 0:24-cv-02605-DSD-TNL<br><br>KEITH M. ELLISON, in his official capacity as<br>ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF<br>MINNESOTA,<br><br>                    <em>Defendant.</em></p><p> </p><p class="text-align-center"><strong>BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION, 340B</strong><br><strong>HEALTH, MINNESOTA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION, AND AMERICAN</strong><br><strong>SOCIETY OF HEALTH-SYSTEM PHARMACISTS IN SUPPORT OF</strong><br><strong><u>DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS</u></strong><br> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td><p>David W. Asp (Bar No. 344850)<br>Derek C. Waller (Bar No. 0401120)<br>LOCKRIDGE GRINDAL NAUEN PLLP<br>100 Washington Avenue S, Suite 2200<br>Minneapolis, MN 55401<br>Tel: (612) 339-6900<br>Fax: (612) 339-0981<br>dwasp@locklaw.com<br>dcwaller@locklaw.com</p><p><em>Counsel of Record</em><br><em>Counsel for Amici Curiae</em><br><br><br><br> </p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td><p>William B. Schultz*<br>Margaret M. Dotzel*<br>Alyssa Howard Card*<br>ZUCKERMAN SPAEDER LLP<br>1800 M Street NW, Suite 1000<br>Washington, DC 20036<br>Tel: (202) 778-1800<br>Fax: (202) 822-8106<br>wschultz@zuckerman.com<br>mdotzel@zuckerman.com<br>acard@zuckerman.com<br>* pro hac vice motion<br>forthcoming</p><p><em>Counsel for Amici Curiae</em><br> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> Mon, 07 Oct 2024 14:34:00 -0500 Litigation /amicus-brief/2024-10-04-amicus-brief-guardian-flight-llc-med-trans-corporation-v-health-care-service-corporation <p class="text-align-center"><strong>No. 24-10561</strong><br><strong>IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS</strong><br><strong>FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT</strong><br> </p><p class="text-align-center">GUARDIAN FLIGHT, L.L.C.;MED-TRANS CORPORATION,<br>                                                               Plaintiffs-Appellants,<br>                                                                v.<br>                        HEALTH CARE SERVICE CORPORATION,<br>                                                               Defendant-Appellee.<br><br>On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern<br>District of Texas<br> </p><p class="text-align-center"><strong>BRIEF OF AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION,</strong><br><strong>AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, FEDERATION OF</strong><br><strong>AMERICAN HOSPITALS, AND TEXAS MEDICAL</strong><br><strong>ASSOCIATION AS AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF</strong><br><strong>APPELLANTS AND REVERSAL</strong> </p><table><tbody><tr><td>James E. Tysse<br>Kelly M. Cleary<br>Kristen E. Loveland<br>AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER &<br>FELD LLP<br>2001 K Street N.W.<br>Washington, D.C. 20006<br>202-887-4000<br>jtysse@akingump.com<br>Counsel for Amici Curiae</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="text-align-center"><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Counsel for Amici Curiae</p> Fri, 04 Oct 2024 13:18:33 -0500 Litigation