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.
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.
The U.S. Department of Justice said MultiCare admitted in court documents to ignoring warnings from a whistleblower and staff who said a neurosurgeon was performing spinal surgeries on patients without medical need and billing the procedures to Medicare.
The Federal Trade Commission was suing the pharmacy benefit manager over allegations it was deliberately inflating the price of insulin. Per the agreement, Express Scripts has agreed to end business practices that involved taking manufacturer rebates on wholesale drug costs without passing them on to patients.
In a decision issued Wednesday, a judge ruled that Caremark had persuaded insurers to intentionally mislead the government regarding prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries.
The legal case brought by all 50 states, Washington D.C., and multiple U.S. territories against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family has come to an end, with settlement funds set to be used for addiction recovery.
Workers are returning to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and other departments. Kennedy said the reinstatements were necessary for the agencies to perform their duties.
A class-action lawsuit claims CVS Health sent text messages to customers and patients, inciting fear over a PBM regulation up for vote in Louisiana. Plaintiffs allege the incident violates state data privacy and political communication laws.
After being ordered to pay $442 million in damages—a ruling the company has said it may appeal—Johnson & Johnson MedTech is now facing the possibility of a permanent injunction that could impact certain business practices. A hearing is scheduled for July.
The HHS Office for Civil Rights said it is investigating a "major" health system in Michigan that may have fired an employee for refusing to use a patient's preferred pronouns—meaning those that align with gender identity rather than biological sex. The agency contends that such compelled speech may violate federal laws protecting religious freedom.
Gregory R. Ball, MD, filed the complaint against Southtowns Radiology Associates in February, and the practice is now asking a judge to reject his allegations.