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 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.
The litigation stems from a 2023 recall of CPAP machines and ventilators that caused users to inhale pieces of foam during use. The faulty units were linked to at least 561 deaths.
If a clinician you care about counts on AI to help make medical decisions, remind them: Tort law principles hold that doing so means risking liability should a patient sue over harm done.