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 shiny Tesla Cybertruck cost $100,000. Its owner, Kevin Curry, 64, was convicted by a federal jury for his role in orchestrating a kickback scheme to defraud the military healthcare program. He awaits sentencing.
Five beneficiaries of the safety-net healthcare program have sued with the support of the National Health Law Program. They are joined by prestigious industry lobbies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Plaintiffs allege Anne Arundel Medical Center in Maryland, the target of the data breach, had a server containing unencrypted patient data that hackers were able to access during the breach. The hospital and its parent health system are still recovering from the incident.
In a complaint, a California doctor accused his former employer and colleagues of making false statements to damage his reputation. The hospital argued, successfully, that the internist failed to exhaust internal dispute resolution procedures that could have stopped him from losing income.
The judge did not rule that Cigna was justified in refusing to pay but did agree that, under provisions of the NSA, federal courts have no right to compel payments.
On Dec. 11, the Alaskan cardiologist was captured as part of a months-long investigation and charged with 10 counts of possessing child sexual abuse materials. The fire at his home occurred two days later.
The plaintiffs argue that the administration has overstepped its authority and that only Congress can levy such hefty fees. As noted in the lawsuit, healthcare relies on skilled labor immigration to bring doctors, nurses and researchers into the country.
Lauren Beene, MD, and Valerie Fouts-Fowler, MD, allege in a lawsuit that Ohio-based University Hospitals fired them for expressing concerns through a chat app. The health system accused the duo of misusing internal communications for personal gain.
Yale New Haven failed to notify parents about the use of the cow-based formula, which they expressly asked staff not to use. A judge found that the hospital failed to stock a human alternative, known to be safer for premature newborns.
According to attorneys representing a potential class action of plaintiffs, Sharp HealthCare was not forthcoming about its use of a tool for automatic note-taking. The technology allegedly captures everything said in an exam room, including sensitive details on diagnoses, and sends it to an offsite server.
Paxton says the “woke” EHR giant is intentionally making it harder for patients and families to access historical medical data, violating state law. Epic denies the allegation.
Every time an ambient AI vendor boasts about how many providers use its tool, a hungry lawyer gets a plum lead for a class-action lawsuit. And a lot of such lawyers are now on high alert for just such an opportunity to pounce.