On March 20, 2026, FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson directed FTC staff to form a Healthcare Task Force to coordinate healthcare enforcement and advocacy efforts. The task force will focus on targeted enforcement initiatives, agencywide investigation strategies, amicus opportunities, and identifying emerging enforcement priorities. It will also seek partnerships with other federal agencies including HHS and DOJ to advance healthcare competition and consumer protection.
As this press release announces the launch of a Healthcare Task Force rather than a specific enforcement action, in-house legal teams in the healthcare industry should review vendor agreements, merger documents, and patient service contracts for antitrust compliance, data sharing provisions, and transparency requirements related to drug pricing and telemedicine services. Specifically, clauses related to merger notifications, patient referral practices, and consumer redress mechanisms should be updated to align with anticipated FTC enforcement priorities under the new task force. Agreements involving substance-abuse treatment facilities or health insurance marketing should also be reviewed for deceptive advertising prohibitions.
Entity
Federal Trade Commission
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/03/ftc-chairman-andrew-n-ferguson-launches-healthcare-task-force
Memorandum Ferguson re Healthcare Task Force
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Memorandum-Ferguson-re-Healthcare-Task-Force.pdf
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson Launches Healthcare Task Force"
"March 20, 2026"
"Federal Trade Commission"
"directed FTC staff to form a Healthcare Task Force"
"Federal Trade Commission"
"/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Memorandum-Ferguson-re-Healthcare-Task-Force.pdf"
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it submitted a draft Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding online food delivery service fees to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review on April 10, 2026. The ANPRM is classified as a 'significant regulatory action' under Executive Orders 12866 and 14215, requiring review by OIRA before public issuance. This press release does not describe an enforcement action against a private entity, nor any privacy-related violations or penalties.
Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut led a bipartisan coalition of 30 state attorneys general in submitting comments to the Federal Trade Commission. The comments aim to improve collaboration between the FTC and state AGs to prevent and prosecute unfair and deceptive practices, addressing issues raised by the AMG Capital decision that may limit restitution. The coalition emphasizes the importance of joint efforts for national consumer protection.
The FTC settled charges with data broker Kochava, Inc. and its subsidiary Collective Data Solutions (CDS) over allegations that they sold precise location data from hundreds of millions of mobile devices without consumer consent, enabling tracking of visits to sensitive locations like reproductive health clinics and places of worship. The settlement prohibits the companies from selling or sharing sensitive location data without affirmative express consumer consent, and imposes compliance requirements including a sensitive location data program, supplier consent assessments, incident reporting, and data retention schedules. No monetary penalty was imposed.
The FTC filed a complaint and obtained a temporary restraining order against six defendants operating a deceptive health care scheme that impersonated government and insurance carriers to sell fake comprehensive health plans. The defendants allegedly charged consumers without express informed consent, failed to disclose material terms including cancellation processes, and misled consumers into paying for inadequate coverage that left many with substantial medical debt. The FTC seeks refunds for affected consumers and alleges violations of the FTC Act, Telemarketing Sales Rule, Impersonation Rule, and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
$140.0M
Following an FTC investigation, a federal court granted summary judgment against timeshare exit scheme operator Christopher Carroll, ordering him to pay $140 million total ($95 million in consumer redress, $45 million civil penalty) for defrauding consumers out of over $90 million. The scheme used deceptive direct mail and in-person pitches, falsely claimed affiliation with timeshare companies, failed to provide refunds, and violated the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule by forcing consumers to sign non-cancellable contracts. Carroll is also permanently banned from marketing timeshare exit services or engaging in deceptive door-to-door sales.
This press release announces the FTC's testimony before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on April 15, 2026, outlining the agency's priorities including consumer privacy protection, competition enforcement, and implementation of the TAKE IT DOWN Act. No specific enforcement action against a private entity is announced in this release.