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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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Federal judge issues partial halt to FTC ban on noncompetes

A full court hearing to determine the fate of the FTC ban on noncompete clauses will be scheduled before Aug 31. For now, a judge has issued a preliminary injunction.

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Change Healthcare notifies patients their medical records may have been taken in breach

A HIPAA notification posted to the company’s website said details about patients’ diagnoses and treatments may have been stolen by hackers.