Richard H. Hughes, IV, Member of the Firm in the Health Care & Life Sciences practice, in the firm’s Washington, DC, office, was quoted in Law360, in “5 Ways Trump's Election Could Change Employee Benefits,” by Kellie Mejdrich. (Read the full version – subscription required.)
Following is an excerpt:
Donald Trump's election to a second term as president has attorneys preparing for potentially significant changes to tax, investment and health policy that could directly affect the administration of employee benefit plans. …
Richard Hughes IV, a healthcare attorney and partner at Epstein Becker Green, said he's keeping an eye on whether Mitchell joins the administration.
"I think that what is going to be really interesting is the fact that Braidwood has been argued by Jonathan Mitchell, who is very likely to play a role in this administration … if not as solicitor general," he said.
Hughes said it's "very likely" that the federal government could change its position in the Braidwood case, which the businesses petitioned to the Supreme Court in October. A response from the federal government is due Nov. 29.
Hughes also pointed out that another potential impact on public health comes from the possibility that Trump could give control of federal public health agencies to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the third-party former presidential candidate and public vaccine skeptic. During the campaign, Trump said of Kennedy: "I'm going to let him go wild on health."
Hughes said he's watching to see what type of role Kennedy takes up in the administration.
"He believes that we need less of a focus on infectious disease and more of a focus on chronic disease," Hughes said. …
