Health Care Today | Health Law Blog

Oklahoma is making history in its pending multi-billion-dollar opioid case against Johnson & Johnson, in which the state is accusing the drug manufacturer of irresponsible marketing practices that allowed it to profit from the opioid crisis. The parties await a final decision from Oklahoma Circuit Judge Thad Balkman after a seven-week bench trial that concluded July 15.

The battle over health benefits rages on. In the latest salvo, a group of states scored a major court victory against the Trump administration’s new “Association Health Plan” Final Rule, which was finalized in 2018. While this decision will have major ramifications, it is important to remember that association health plans may still be established under old rules that existed long before the final rule.

The case is styled New York v. United States Dep’t of Labor, No. CV 18-1747 (JDB), 2019 WL 1410370 (D.D.C. Mar. 28, 2019).