Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trade Secrets Lawsuit Hints At How Health Industry Is Braced For New Initiative Launched By Billionaires
Stat: Concerned About Gawande’s New Venture, Optum Sues Over Trade Secrets
One of the nation’s largest health insurers has filed a federal lawsuit to protect its trade secrets from the health care venture launched by Amazon, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Berkshire Hathaway, making it clear it sees the upstart company as posing a major threat to its business on a national scale. The lawsuit, filed by Optum Inc. in Massachusetts District Court in Boston on Jan. 16, seeks a court order to block one of its former executives, David Smith, from sharing confidential corporate information he allegedly accessed just before he was hired by the new health care company last month. (Sheridan and Ross, 1/23)
In other health industry news —
NPR: Juul Labs Lobbies Lawmakers
The presence of Juul e-cigarettes in high schools across the country is increasing — and so is Juul Labs' lobbying presence in the nation's capital. The company, which bills its product as "a satisfying alternative to cigarettes," spent $750,000 on lobbying during the last three months of 2018, according to lobbying disclosure forms filed with Congress on Tuesday. (McMinn, 1/23)
