Bass, Berry & Sims attorneys Clint Hermes, Angelique Salib and Jeremy Gunn contributed content for the annual reference book Health Law Watch published by American Health Law Association (AHLA). In this edition, the authors examined how the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic impacted longstanding challenges facing the industry, take stock of where we are in the wake of the pandemic, and foreshadow what may come next.

Clint and Angelique authored the chapter “Clinical Trials During the Pandemic” chapter that outlines the roles of key agencies in federal science policy in the context of a public health emergency, the legal issues around clinical research and expanded access during COVID-19, vaccine research and development, the PREP Act, and racial and ethnic diversity in clinical trial recruitment.

Jeremy co-authored the chapter “Mental Health Parity and Trends in Post-Pandemic Behavioral Health Care,” that addresses an overview of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, litigation involving coverage denials for novel mental health and substance use disorder treatments, Parity Act compliance, and changes to the way behavioral healthcare is delivered post-pandemic.

The 2021 edition of the book provides extensive analysis and insight on numerous legal and operational challenges facing the healthcare industry. The book is available to purchase here.