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.
Legal and compliance teams have to serve as sentinels sizing up potential legal exposure points without turning into needlers who only slow down clinical innovation.
Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP), a contractor with the state health department, is accused of trapping two physicians into mental health treatment as a condition of maintaining their medical residency jobs. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are seeking class action status.
Federal regulators alleged that U.S. Anesthesia Partners—a portfolio company of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowes—engaged in a “roll-up scheme” in Texas that effectively eliminated the competition. The company denies the allegations, but has agreed to undisclosed terms that would see the lawsuit resolved.
The technologist, who was diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma in 2023, says she previously took her concerns to leadership, but her claims were not taken seriously.
The owners of several telemarketing companies, along with the organizations themselves, have been named as defendants in a federal lawsuit. The Federal Trade Commission alleges that the group would sell bundled services as supposed “PPO” plans, leaving patients to discover that services were not covered.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the OIG and FBI are also involved in the DOJ's criminal probe into alleged incidents of upcoding by the Medicare Advantage insurer. UnitedHealth denied any wrongdoing.
Jawad Bhatti, MD, is facing a 26-count indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice after he allegedly advertised the use of ozone gas as a treatment for pain, then billed Medicare and Medicaid for the unapproved procedures.
Multiple professional groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians, challenge recent policy changes to vaccine recommendations for COVID-19, which end routine inoculations for minors and pregnant women.
Sweeping tax cuts and reduced spending on Medicaid and SNAP were signed into law by President Donald Trump. However, a key provision that would have paused new AI regulations was removed by the Senate.
Jennifer Forbes, 50, allegedly sent a cryptic, threatening letter to a UnitedHealthcare office along with an unknown substance. She has been charged with two counts of terrorism.
The 940-page document passed the House of Representatives in a 218 to 214 vote, and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk. It contains a 20% cut to federal Medicaid funding, something Trump said he opposes.
The family of Gay Sherman Weintz, 55, said she died as a result of 24-hour physical restraint, combined with staff at Middlesex Hospital ignoring signs of a medical crisis. Her son, Chauncey Smith, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.