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Civil Law

OIG Publishes Special Fraud Alert on Medicare Advantage Marketing Arrangements

On December 11, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) published a Special Fraud Alert warning against suspect payment arrangements involving the Medicare Advantage (“MA”) program which could implicate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”), the False Claims Act (“FCA”), and other health care fraud and abuse laws. These suspect payment schemes can improperly steer Medicare enrollees to specific MA plans or health care providers based upon financial incentives rather than the enrollees’ needs.

OIG … Read the rest

Supreme Court

The morning read for Friday, Dec. 13

Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles and commentary related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Friday morning read:

US Supreme Court should avoid climate change cases, Biden administration says (Nate Raymond, Reuters)
Supreme Court begins online lottery for seating, upending D.C. ritual (Justin Jouvenal, The Washington Post)
Biden is on track to appoint more federal judges of color than any other president (Char Adams, NBC News)
Don’t want to spend days waiting in line to

… Read the rest

Civil Law

Red Cow and Hen House E. coli Outbreak linked to Wolverine Packing

And, undercooked burgers.

Minnesota health officials are urging people to contact their health care provider if they ate a hamburger, especially if undercooked, at a table-service restaurant since Oct. 31 and then developed diarrhea, particularly bloody diarrhea, in the following week.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has identified at least 10 cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection in people who had eaten burgers at multiple locations of Red Cow, a table-service restaurant chain with locations in Hennepin, Ramsey … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Justices take up cases on religious tax exemption and California climate change mandate

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejecting efforts by Catholic Charities to seek an exemption from the state’s unemployment tax. Catholic Charities contends that both it and the four agencies that operate under its umbrella qualify for the exemption because they are operated “primarily for religious purposes.” The group, which is controlled by the bishop of the diocese of Superior, says that the state supreme court’s contrary decision, which rested … Read the rest

Circuit Courts

Students See Their Future in the Judiciary as They Celebrate Bill of Rights Day

High school students across the country are envisioning themselves as court professionals, judges, jurors, and lawyers as they participate in a national civics initiative this month, in commemoration of Bill of Rights Day, Dec. 15.
Judiciary News – United States Courts… Read the rest

Supreme Court

William Hennessy, Jr., prolific courtroom sketch artist, dies at 67

William Hennessy, Jr., a classically trained artist and SCOTUSblog contributor who chronicled oral arguments at the Supreme Court and legal proceedings around the country for decades, died on Tuesday. Scott McFarlane, a CBS News correspondent who profiled Hennessy last year, reported on X on an announcement made by Hennessy’s family. Hennessy was 67 on Tuesday.

Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar defending the Biden administration’s opposition to an Idaho abortion restriction in April. (William Hennessy)

Hennessy, who had a degree from … Read the rest

Civil Law

Officials in California say child may have become sick with bird flu from raw milk

County officials in California are urging the public to not consume unpasteurized, raw milk because it may have caused a bird flu infection in a child.

Marin County Public Health is reporting a suspected case of bird flu in a child who experienced fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk. The child has recovered, and no other family members became sick, indicating no person-to- person transmission, according to the health department.

There have been 32 confirmed cases of bird flu … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Court turns down challenges to school admissions, gender support plans, and gun licensing

The Supreme Court on Monday morning declined to take up several hot-button issues, including a challenge by parents to a school district’s plan to provide support for transgender and non-binary students, a dispute over the admissions policy used during the 2021-22 school year for three of Boston’s elite public high schools, and the case of a Hawaii man prosecuted for carrying a handgun without a license.

The announcement came in a list of orders released from the justices’ private … Read the rest