Legal News

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.

Over a dozen lawsuits claim Ozempic and Wegovy caused patients to go blind
The lawsuits, filed in multiple states, contend there's a causal link between semaglutide and a rare condition called NAION that leads to diminished eyesight. Plaintiffs want the popular weight-loss drugs to add a warning label.
Nursing homes fined $15M for staffing fraud after guilty verdict
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.
Patient sues surgeon and Allina Health for allegedly removing the wrong organ during surgery
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.
Lavish kickback scandal costs California health system $32M
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.
Johnson & Johnson MedTech ordered to pay $147M for antitrust violations
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.

FDA announces recall of Medline endotracheal tubes after three injuries

The Medline Sub-G endotracheal tubes with subglottic suction are defective and known to tear, potentially leading to serious injury or death.

Brazen marital healthcare scheme ends with guilty pleas

A former Alabama doctor and her wife faced a slew of charges related to healthcare billing fraud, misuse of PPE loan funds and illegal distribution of opiates.

CityMD agrees to $12M settlement over alleged COVID claims fraud

The company cooperated with a DoJ investigation into COVID-19 tests being erroneously billed to the federal government.

healthcare money economics dollar stethoscope acquire merger

California bill: Private equity firms must seek AG approval for healthcare buyouts

California Assembly bill AB-3129 requires private equity investors to send an application to the state attorney general 90 days before they purchase a hospital or provider group.

FDA panel recommends new COVID-19 booster

Booster uptake rates remain low. To date, only 22.5% of Americans received an annual COVID-19 shot from 2023.

Q&A: Healthcare cybersecurity advocate fears damage from Change Healthcare breach has only begun

Richard Staynings says the breach of Change Healthcare’s systems stems from consolidation, and the impact may devastate independent providers.

HHS: ‘Who is responsible for ensuring that individuals affected by the Change Healthcare breach receive notification?’

HHS’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has confirmed UnitedHealth Group can send out HIPAA-required notifications about the breach but stopped short of saying the company will be responsible for doing so.

Rural New Mexico hospital may close its doors after $100M malpractice judgment

Rehoboth McKinley Medical Center lost a 2019 malpractice case involving a botched hernia surgery. The hospital was already operating at a loss before the case went to court.

Legal News

Over a dozen lawsuits claim Ozempic and Wegovy caused patients to go blind

Nursing homes fined $15M for staffing fraud after guilty verdict

Patient sues surgeon and Allina Health for allegedly removing the wrong organ during surgery

Lavish kickback scandal costs California health system $32M

Johnson & Johnson MedTech ordered to pay $147M for antitrust violations