Legal News

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.

Married couple in New York arrested for stealing $3M from Medicaid
Rohail Raja, 45, and his wife, Sharma Alam, 45, are charged with first-degree grand larceny which carries a possible penalty of 25 years in prison. The duo are accused of submitting fraudulent bills to Medicaid for transportation services they never delivered.
Medical malpractice reforms appear to curb unnecessary imaging in ED
State caps on malpractice damages were associated with a roughly 21% decrease in low-value imaging use for headaches, according to new Neiman Policy Institute research.
Teleradiologist shares ‘harrowing’ story of being arrested mid-interpretation
Fellow radiologist Daniel Cousin, MD shared the unidentified individual’s story in an editorial published by KevinMD.com.
Pennsylvania woman accused of giving patients weight loss drugs meant for animals
The U.S. Department of Justice says Nicole Millen—who is neither a medical doctor nor a veterinarian—gave visitors to her clinics Chorulon, a drug meant for cows, without properly labeling it as for animal use only.
Patient sues Abbott after early heart valve replacement
The patient's Trifecta GT heart valve had to be replaced after just six years, an experience he says resulted in "permanent injuries." Abbott pulled the devices off the U.S. market in 2023 due to a known risk of structural valve deterioration.

DaVita to pay $34M to settle kickback allegations

The U.S. Department of Justice claimed the dialysis chain was sending kickbacks and favors to physicians in exchange for patient referrals.

House lawmakers want to relax ban on physician-owned hospitals

The bipartisan Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act would amend the Social Security Act to allow physicians to open new hospitals in hard-to-reach communities.

Senators introduce bill to bolster healthcare cybersecurity

The Healthcare Cybersecurity Act would improve cooperation between HHS and CISA to ideally speed up the response to cyberattacks.

DOJ investigating Steward Health Care over ties to foreign government

Citing two sources familiar with the matter, journalists at CBS News said the health system is suspected of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. No charges have been filed.

Frank Pollaro, a 55-year-old cardiologist from Long Island, New York, has admitted in court to possessing child pornography. Pollaro was already a registered sex offender after being convicted for the same crime in 2016.

New York cardiologist, already a sex offender, admits to possessing child pornography

The 55-year-old cardiologist was allowed to continue practicing cardiology after his first conviction in 2016. Now, he is losing his license and faces up to eight years in prison.

Former Georgia insurance commissioner sentenced to prison for $3M fraud scheme

John Oxendine has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to file claims for bogus lab tests.

Cardiologist’s sexual assault trial, set to begin after 4-month delay, will not be televised

The trial of Stephen Matthews, the Denver cardiologist accused of drugging 11 women and sexually assaulting nine of them, is expected to start July 12 after a lengthy delay. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

State attorneys general send warnings of Change Healthcare breach, urge residents to respond

Several state attorneys general have issued notices to residents regarding the Change Healthcare breach, asking them to sign up for credit monitoring and identity theft protection.

Legal News

Married couple in New York arrested for stealing $3M from Medicaid

Medical malpractice reforms appear to curb unnecessary imaging in ED

Teleradiologist shares ‘harrowing’ story of being arrested mid-interpretation

Pennsylvania woman accused of giving patients weight loss drugs meant for animals

Patient sues Abbott after early heart valve replacement