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 cyberattack on Central Maine Healthcare happened in summer 2025, but the investigation was complicated by the hackers having access to systems for several months. Now that the number of victims has been made public, a law firm announced it was looking into the possibility of filing a class action lawsuit.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and co-plaintiffs are tightening the screws in their lawsuit against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other healthcare leaders in the Trump administration.
The judgment includes $30 million in punitive damages. The lawsuit was brought by Maria Gatchalian, a NICU nurse who said she was fired for reporting patient safety concerns to management. The health system said it intends to appeal the court's decision.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the defendants, five ophthalmology clinics in Florida, would pay kickbacks to a testing company that performed unnecessary transcranial Doppler ultrasounds. Prosecutors said an investigation into incidents of Medicare and Medicaid fraud stemming from the conspiracy is ongoing.
The health system said it offered a “historic” 21.5% raise as part of a new contract, but it’s been unable to reach an agreement with union officials. Workers are expected to walk off the job starting Jan. 26.
Capitol Radiology LLC submitted the voluntary petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, seeking to wipe out $157,000 in debt.
The company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it is cooperating with the Department of Justice’s inquiry into possible incidents of Medicare Advantage upcoding.
In a settled lawsuit, a surgeon and anesthesiologist admitted to playing the game and missing an alarm that warned them a 56-year-old patient had stopped breathing.
A California health system and a local morgue are facing accusations of gross negligence after the bodies of missing persons were discovered—some with identification still on them. The state Department of Public Health is investigating the incidents.
The insurer is challenging three phone calls made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that led to a docked rating for some of Humana’s plans. A previous challenge, which broadly contested the agency’s star rating criteria, was dismissed.
Ritesh Kalra, MD, allegedly wrote 31,000 opioid prescriptions between 2019 and 2025, many of which were illegitimate. He is accused of inappropriately touching patients in exchange for oxycodone scripts as part of a five-count criminal indictment.