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.

State sues AI company after bot impersonates doctor
The digital entity gave at least one end-user a phony medical-license number. Unfortunately for the chatbot, that end-user was a state investigator.
Hospitals sue Anthem over policy prohibiting use of out-of-network radiologists
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.
Maggot therapy? Wrongful termination lawsuit claims nursing home had a severe sanitation problem
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.
DOJ unveils West Coast ‘Strike Force’ as new tactic used to tackle healthcare fraud
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.
Radiologists among physician specialists facing higher risk of being sued, AMA says
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.

veterans health administration efficiency

DOD contractor hit with $11M fine for health data mismanagement

A U.S. military contractor has agreed to an $11.2 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve allegations it lied about properly securing sensitive patient data tied to the Tricare program.

shocked surprised social media post defamation

UnitedHealth hires law firm, demands doctor recant statements on social media

According to a report from Bloomberg Law, UnitedHealth has hired a prestigious defamation law firm to police what it deems as misinformation posted online.

Healthcare AI newswatch: UnitedHealth lawsuit, humanized medical AI, mobile AI care clinics, more

A federal judge has vacated five of seven complaints against UnitedHealth Group—yet is allowing the AI-implicated suit to advance.

Vandalism broken window property destruction

Hospital delays opening after vandals sledgehammer holes into walls

The grand unveiling of a new Trinity Health System hospital in Ohio has been delayed after vandals smashed up the place. The incident is currently under investigation.

Judge orders HHS agencies to restore health information

A Tuesday ruling gave the FDA, CDC and HHS until midnight to undo the mass deletion of webpages stemming from Trump executive orders.

Cancer patient in pain for months discovers surgical sponge in neck, lawsuit claims

Frank Kryzak has filed a lawsuit against Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital after an exploratory surgery allegedly left him in a mysterious state of agony for four months.

Family of heart patient who died after missing medications in jail settles lawsuit

A 54-year-old heart transplant recipient was unable to take doctor-prescribed medications during his brief stay at a local jail. He died a few days after being released.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) HQ

HHS offers update on comms pause as rapid policy shifts continue

A spokesperson told HealthExec that "several types of external communications" are no longer subject to any pause, including urgent public health alerts.

Legal News

State sues AI company after bot impersonates doctor

Hospitals sue Anthem over policy prohibiting use of out-of-network radiologists

Maggot therapy? Wrongful termination lawsuit claims nursing home had a severe sanitation problem

DOJ unveils West Coast ‘Strike Force’ as new tactic used to tackle healthcare fraud

Radiologists among physician specialists facing higher risk of being sued, AMA says