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Elizabeth Nevins

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Elizabeth Nevins is an associate in the Corporate Practice Group in the firm's Dallas office, and a member of the Healthcare team.

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In a decision joined by all nine justices, the Supreme Court preserved the Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA’s”) regulatory approval of mifepristone, ensuring continued access to the widely-used abortion medication across the country. Food and Drug Administration, et al. v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al., No. 23-235 and Danco Laboratories, L.L.C. v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, et al., No. 23-236. The Court ultimately decided the case on procedural grounds, holding that the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring suit.Continue Reading Supreme Court Unanimously Preserves Access to Mifepristone

On April 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued a final rule (the “Final Rule”) rescinding the 2018 Association Health Plan rule (“2018 AHP Rule”), thereby marking a return to the more rigid pre-2018 regulatory framework governing association health plans. The 2018 AHP Rule, officially titled “Definition of Employer Under Section 3(5) of ERISA – Association Health Plans,” allowed these plans to bypass certain requirements under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). The Final Rule will take effect on July 1, 2024.Continue Reading U.S. Department of Labor Rescinds Trump-Era Rule on Association Health Plans (AHPs)

On April 4, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued the contract year 2025 (CY2025) Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule (the “Final Rule”). In addition to finalizing its CY2025 proposed rule, CMS also addressed several key provisions that remained from the CY2024 proposed rule. According to CMS’ Fact Sheet, the Final Rule builds on existing Biden-Harris Administration policies to strengthen protections and guardrails, promote healthy competition, and ensure Medicare Advantage and Part D plans best meet the needs of enrollees. The Final Rule also promotes access to behavioral health care providers, promote equity in coverage, and improve supplemental benefits.Continue Reading CMS Issues CY2025 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released its “Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2022” (the “Report”), highlighting continued enforcement and recovery actions under the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC). During fiscal year 2022 (FY 2022), over $1.7 billion was returned through HCFAC’s enforcement actions.Continue Reading HHS & DOJ FY 2022 Enforcement Targeted Fraud in COVID-19, Telemedicine, Opioid and Prescription Drugs, and Substance Use Treatment Centers, Among Other Initiatives

On November 6, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the contract year 2025 proposed rule for Medicare Advantage (“MA”) organizations and Part D sponsors (the “Proposed Rule”). The Proposed Rule covers an array of regulatory topics including the Star Ratings program, marketing and communications, agent and broker compensation, health equity, dual eligible special needs plans (“D-SNPs”), utilization management, network adequacy, and access to biosimilars.Continue Reading CMS Promotes Competition, Transparency, Health Equity and More in the CY2025 Medicare Advantage and Part D Proposed Rule

Nearly three months after hearing oral arguments, a divided Fifth Circuit panel issued its decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, upholding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) underlying approval of Mifepristone in 2000, but reinstating the limitations and restrictions under the pre-2016 protocol. Despite rejecting Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s blanket suspension of the drug’s approval, the federal appeals court found that the FDA overstepped its authority in expanding access and loosening restrictions on the drug in 2016 and 2021. Specifically, the Fifth Circuit agreed with the lower court’s ruling to invalidate the FDA’s modifications that increased the gestational age and relaxed dispensing requirements such as allowing the drug to be dispensed through the mail and ordered by a non-physician. The 96-page ruling issued by the conservative three-judge panel will likely not have any immediate legal effect, and Mifepristone will remain broadly available due to the Supreme Court’s stay implemented earlier this year.Continue Reading Fifth Circuit Rules to Reinstate Abortion Pill Restrictions

For a brief moment in time last April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) approval of the commonly-used abortion medication, Mifepristone, was curtailed. Just days after a Texas federal judge’s ruling suspended the FDA’s approval of the drug, the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) asked the Fifth Circuit to grant an emergency or administrative stay of that decision. On review, the Fifth Circuit held that Mifepristone could only be prescribed in the first seven weeks of pregnancy, under a physician’s supervision, and the drug cannot be sent by mail, temporarily suspending more recent modifications to the FDA’s approval. Continue Reading Access to Abortion Pill on the Precipice: A Deep Dive into the Federal Court Rulings that will Decide the Fate of Mifepristone 

In February, when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) delivered two annual reports to Congress for the 2021 calendar year as mandated by the HITECH Act, several notable takeaways were exposed. By providing data on enforcement actions and insight into areas of noncompliance, the reports assist HIPAA entities to mitigate risk, prioritize compliance efforts, and promote industry accountability.Continue Reading HHS OCR Delivered Annual Reports to Congress

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) approval of the commonly-used abortion medication, Mifepristone, has been curtailed following dueling federal court decisions in Texas and Washington. Just days after a Texas federal judge’s ruling suspended the FDA’s approval of the drug, the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) asked the Fifth Circuit to grant an emergency or administrative stay of that decision. Although the Fifth Circuit did grant temporary, albeit limited, relief, the court maintained that Mifepristone could only be prescribed in the first seven weeks of pregnancy, under a physician’s supervision, and the drug cannot be sent by mail. Continue Reading Access to Abortion Pill in Limbo: Navigating the Intricacies of Conflicting Federal Court Rulings in Texas and Washington State

On December 21, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a proposed rule aimed at advancing health equity and mitigating health disparities while minimizing administrative burden. The HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2024 (“Proposed Rule”) would streamline ACA health plan selection, simplify marketplace enrollment, and expand access to care for low-income and medically underserved consumers through revision of network adequacy and essential community provider (“ECP”) standards. These proposed changes came in the midst of a record-breaking ACA Marketplace enrollment period, highlighting the increased demand for affordable health care coverage.Continue Reading HHS Proposes Health Insurance Market Reforms for 2024