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.
Anthem defended the policy in response to the lawsuit, contending patients shouldn’t have to worry about surprise medical bills when visiting in-network hospitals.
Boca Raton Rehabilitation Center called claims made in the lawsuit by a former employee, Nuella Joseph, “unsubstantiated.” Joseph, a nurse, said the facility has a cleanliness problem that led to bug infestations in resident rooms.
Federal authorities said the shift to regional “Strike Force” models has proven successful, with 6,200 defendants prosecuted nationwide. The DOJ said this latest unit will take a special interest in Northern California.
About 38% of rads surveyed said they had defended against at least one lawsuit, with such specialists at a higher risk than others in internal medicine.
The HHS Office for Civil Rights said it is investigating a "major" health system in Michigan that may have fired an employee for refusing to use a patient's preferred pronouns—meaning those that align with gender identity rather than biological sex. The agency contends that such compelled speech may violate federal laws protecting religious freedom.
Gregory R. Ball, MD, filed the complaint against Southtowns Radiology Associates in February, and the practice is now asking a judge to reject his allegations.
The information was deleted to comply with an executive order from President Trump that censored content related to “gender ideology.” However, a federal judge has ordered the content restored as a court battle looms.
A report from the Guardian details how the VA removed language protecting patients from discrimination based on political affiliation and lifestyle. The department denies that there has been any actual change in policy.
Law firm Wright & Schulte said they filed a legal complaint on behalf of patients, pointing to the health system’s alleged lack of transparency and negligence in protecting data as the basis for the lawsuit.