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.
For the second time in less than two years, the struggling retail pharmacy chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking buyers as it prepares for store closures.
State Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics, accusing the two PBMs of manipulating rebate pricing, "crippling small, independent pharmacies and restricting access to lifesaving medications in the process."
The states argue the Department of Health and Human Services is failing to perform basic functions, in violation of the Constitution, as the agency and its programs are authorized by Congress.
Erin Strotman, 26, has been charged in a 12-count indictment for incidents of alleged neglect and abuse. Her license to practice nursing has also been suspended, pending trial.
The three insurance giants are accused of conspiring with brokers to enroll profitable patients in Medicare Advantage plans, in exchange for "hundreds of millions" in kickbacks.
Attorneys are targeting Northwest Radiologists and the related Mount Baker Imaging, who allegedly failed to protect patient info before a January data breach.
Local investigative reporters have uncovered details on a scheme in which patients housed at a seedy motel received treatment for drug abuse as part of a massive Medicare fraud operation.