In an effort to make the health system more transparent to patients and to bend the cost curve, the Obama Administration is implementing new standards for drug and device companies. Any manufacturer receiving payment from the federal government through the Medicare or Medicaid programs will have to disclose all of its payments to doctors, which will then be posted on a publicly available web site.

In a closed door meeting, the justices will review three cases, stemming from conflicting decisions in Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Richmond. Many experts expect that the Court to take at least one of the cases to decide an issue of constitutionality. In this instance, a date for oral arguments would be set for the spring, likely March. The High Court justices would then have three months to deliver their opinions.