Legal News

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.

Lehigh Valley Health admits to controlled substances violations in $2.75M settlement
The Pennsylvania-based health system reported drug diversion incidents to authorities involving a pharmacy technician who used employee passwords to steal pills from one of its hospitals.
CVS hit with $949M judgment over fraudulent Omnicare prescriptions
The pharmacy chain said it plans to appeal the ruling. The complaint was brought by a former employee turned whistleblower who alleged that Omnicare had billed the government for millions of unnecessary prescriptions.
Report: DOJ questioning doctors linked to possible Medicare fraud at UnitedHealth
According to the Wall Street Journal, the OIG and FBI are also involved in the DOJ's criminal probe into alleged incidents of upcoding by the Medicare Advantage insurer. UnitedHealth denied any wrongdoing.
Doctor arrested for $5.2M fraud linked to using medical ozone gas on patients
Jawad Bhatti, MD, is facing a 26-count indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice after he allegedly advertised the use of ozone gas as a treatment for pain, then billed Medicare and Medicaid for the unapproved procedures.
Medical malpractice lawsuits are rare in sports cardiology—but they can cost providers millions
When doctors are accused of mishandling the heart health of a young athlete, it occasionally ends up being settled in a courtroom.

Vintage neon drug sign at the Walgreens pharmacy on Canal Street in downtown New Orleans.

DOJ sues Walgreens for allegedly filling ‘millions’ of illegal prescriptions

Walgreens filed a countersuit, accusing the federal government of failing to take down prescribers acting unlawfully.

Medicare Advantage Part C clipboard payment

Another insurer sues CMS over star ratings, citing contractor error

Alignment Health is accusing CMS and a third-party contractor of surveying Spanish-speaking members in English and using an "arbitrary" calculation method to reduce the ratings of Medicare Advantage plans.

Patient mixup, coverup results in lawsuit for wrongful death

PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center removed the wrong man from life support and hid the mixup from the family for two years, the plaintiffs claim in a court filing.

statue justice legal verdict malpractice case lawsuit scale

Congressional candidate physician sues hospital and doctor for death of father

Some of the claims in the lawsuit, brought against Novant Health by Kyle Horton, MD, are backed by a report from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Doctors removed a patient's ovaries without her knowledge or consent, lawsuit claims

Melissa Hubbard says her gynecologist and surgeon decided to remove her ovaries during a colectomy but failed to inform her of their intent. The case’s fate is now in the hands of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

FDA threatens Hologic with punishment for reported errors in making troubled breast device

Concerns stem from manufacturing and distribution of the BioZorb marker, with possible ramifications including "seizure, injunction and civil money penalties."

Court lets lawsuit, alleging radiology group used inferior computer monitors to submit $6M in false claims, continue

The case dates to June 2019 when whistleblower and Arizona-based IT executive Eric Stenson filed suit against Radiology Limited.

Q&A: Vulnerable patients hit hardest by anesthesia reimbursement cuts

Tracy Young, CRNA, vice president at the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, details the ongoing fight between providers and insurers over how anesthesiologists get paid.

Legal News

Lehigh Valley Health admits to controlled substances violations in $2.75M settlement

CVS hit with $949M judgment over fraudulent Omnicare prescriptions

Report: DOJ questioning doctors linked to possible Medicare fraud at UnitedHealth

Doctor arrested for $5.2M fraud linked to using medical ozone gas on patients

Medical malpractice lawsuits are rare in sports cardiology—but they can cost providers millions