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.
In a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court affirmed the formula used by the federal government to calculate Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments is legal and consistent with the law passed by Congress.
The Department of Health and Human Services is refusing to allocate funds meant to support state and local healthcare initiatives, as the money stemmed from now-defunct COVID-19 control efforts. A coalition of municipalities is suing to lift the block.
Luigi Mangione has officially entered a plea in the indictment against him for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The federal case is now expected to move forward before the overlapping state murder trial, as the Department of Justice is seeking the death penalty.
The Florida governor claims the money was not part of a settlement the state made with Centene, and that the insurer donated the cash as a “cherry on top.”
Nakita Cannady, 49, was also convicted of defrauding Cigna to the tune of $194,000, billing the insurer for patient care hours her providers never filled.
According to multiple reports, the majority of justices appeared to be leaning toward siding with the government, which argues that members of HHS's Preventive Services Task Force have the legal authority under the Constitution to determine which treatments are covered as 'preventive' under the Affordable Care Act.
A letter addressed to CHEST was made public, wherein a U.S. Attorney asked how it intends to "protect the public from misinformation" and ensure publication of "competing viewpoints."
SCOTUS on April 21 started hearing oral arguments in the high-profile case that could impact cost-free access to CT screening for lung and colorectal cancer.