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.
A woman in Texas alleges a U.S. Marine slipped abortion pills into her hot chocolate, resulting in the death of her fetus. She is suing the man, along with Aid Access—a nonprofit that provides nationwide access to abortion pills via telehealth.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office requested records on Luigi Mangione from the insurer Aetna—information the defense is now moving to have suppressed. Mangione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
A group of plaintiffs tried to use the courts to force the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission to develop a patient database needed for doctors to begin issuing prescriptions. But a judge ruled the group lacked standing, as such litigation typically requires backing from the state attorney general. Medical cannabis became legal in the state back in September 2022.
The interventional cardiologist was accused of prescribing a variety of drugs to his family and friends, but then picking them up himself for his own personal use. This settlement officially resolves those allegations.
Elisabeth Potter, MD, said her clinic has been removed from the insurer’s provider networks, putting her business $5 million in debt as she faces a lawsuit over a social media video.
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that divestitures will be made in 19 of the 20 states at high risk of overconsolidation in the hospice market as a result of the merger. The transaction is now expected to move forward.
Plaintiffs in the complaint include Radiology Partners and its affiliates, the Arkansas-based Highlands Oncology Group and Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians.
The number is almost double initial estimates. With final data breach notifications now sent, UnitedHealthcare said its investigation into the February 2024 ransomware attack is coming to a close.