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.
Utah made waves last month when the state announced it would let an AI chatbot autonomously order drugs for patients. The move struck some observers as something of a high-stakes gamble.
He and two co-conspirators entered into agreements with doctors that consisted of financial kickbacks drawn from Medicare reimbursements for unnecessary brain imaging ordered by providers.
Members of Congress caution that the fee could be especially consequential for rural and urban safety net hospitals, which could be pushed “to their financial brink” if they are required to absorb the charge.
McLaren Health Care fell victim to ransomware crime in 2023 and 2024, with the total number of victims exceeding 3.2 million. Those affected may be eligible for a cash payment. Per the terms of the agreement with lawyers representing victims, the health system does not admit to wrongdoing.
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.
Former Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, and other executives are accused in a $1.4 billion legal filing of paying themselves hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses, despite the health system being insolvent.
AdventHealth Shawnee Mission is suing Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City over its AI claims audits, which have rejected some 350 incidents of patient care. The hospital claims the insurer is violating state and federal laws.