Stories about physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in lawsuits—as either a plaintiff or a defendant—or accused of breaking the law. Various legal updates or unusual stories in the news may land here.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the judgment, which was issued against two facilities in Pennsylvania. The nursing homes fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for working hours despite staff not being on the floor.
In court documents, an unnamed Minnesota woman said that in 2022, she was admitted to an Allina Health hospital and scheduled for the removal of her infected spleen, only for an error to result in her left kidney being removed instead.
Community Health System and Physician Network Advantage, an affiliated technology consultancy firm, were accused of bribing physicians for patient referrals in the form of paid vacations, expensive gifts and business meetings held at strip clubs.
The company told Cardiovascular Business it respectfully disagrees with the jury's decision and is evaluating all possible legal options going forward. The Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, meanwhile, celebrated the news.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal reports that UnitedHealth Group is being investigated for criminal fraud, likely stemming from its Medicare Advantage billing practices.
For the second time in less than two years, the struggling retail pharmacy chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking buyers as it prepares for store closures.
State Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics, accusing the two PBMs of manipulating rebate pricing, "crippling small, independent pharmacies and restricting access to lifesaving medications in the process."
The states argue the Department of Health and Human Services is failing to perform basic functions, in violation of the Constitution, as the agency and its programs are authorized by Congress.
Erin Strotman, 26, has been charged in a 12-count indictment for incidents of alleged neglect and abuse. Her license to practice nursing has also been suspended, pending trial.
The three insurance giants are accused of conspiring with brokers to enroll profitable patients in Medicare Advantage plans, in exchange for "hundreds of millions" in kickbacks.
Attorneys are targeting Northwest Radiologists and the related Mount Baker Imaging, who allegedly failed to protect patient info before a January data breach.
Local investigative reporters have uncovered details on a scheme in which patients housed at a seedy motel received treatment for drug abuse as part of a massive Medicare fraud operation.
Lawsuits filed against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission claim the agency has failed to develop the necessary database to license and certify providers in the state, effectively making medical cannabis inaccessible. The law allowing for medical marijuana use passed in 2021.