During a recent government meeting, discussions centered on several ongoing lawsuits involving major corporations, including Johnson & Johnson, Western Union, and Heinz. The focus was primarily on a class action lawsuit against an employer serving as a fiduciary for a health plan.

The meeting highlighted the responsibilities of fiduciaries in managing employee benefit plans. It was noted that if a plan is fully insured, the insurance carrier assumes fiduciary responsibilities. However, in this case, the employer is the fiduciary, which raises questions about their oversight of the plan.

A significant point of discussion was the Johnson & Johnson case, where the company faced allegations of negligence in managing pharmacy pricing. It was reported that the company allowed certain high-cost drugs to be included in their plan without adequate scrutiny, despite cheaper over-the-counter alternatives being available. This lack of oversight has raised concerns about the fiduciary duties owed to plan participants and the potential implications for similar cases in the future.