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.
In May, a jury found the CVS subsidiary liable for filing 3.3 million fraudulent insurance claims between 2010 and 2018. The $949 million judgment was imposed in July.
Joshua Spriestersbach remained locked up in a Hawaii State Hospital psychiatric facility for nearly three years in a case of mistaken identity. However, a judge ruled neither the facility nor the staff is liable for his detainment.
Both companies are working on ChatGPT-like platforms designed exclusively for medical professionals. OpenEvidence accuses Doximity of attempting to steal its proprietary code, while the latter fires back with a defamation claim.
The defendants include operators and staff at nursing schools that were shut down over accusations they provided pay-for-play degrees that RNs and LPNs used to obtain licenses.
The Wall Street Journal said that President Donald Trump has yet to meet with company representatives. However, UnitedHealth CEO Stephen Hemsley reportedly met with members of the administration in Washington.
Luigi Mangione still faces nine counts in New York stemming from the alleged murder of Brian Thompson. Additionally, he faces a federal murder indictment that carries the possibility of the death penalty.
The veteran interventional cardiologist claims he was pushed out after repeatedly asking for more coverage from cardiothoracic surgeons in addition to other improvements. The hospital, meanwhile, described the lawsuit as a “collection of false allegations."
A former executive at Verily is suing the company, alleging he was fired after reporting the incidents to management. The misuses of data, if true, would constitute HIPAA violations.