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 Pennsylvania-based health system reported drug diversion incidents to authorities involving a pharmacy technician who used employee passwords to steal pills from one of its hospitals.
The pharmacy chain said it plans to appeal the ruling. The complaint was brought by a former employee turned whistleblower who alleged that Omnicare had billed the government for millions of unnecessary prescriptions.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the OIG and FBI are also involved in the DOJ's criminal probe into alleged incidents of upcoding by the Medicare Advantage insurer. UnitedHealth denied any wrongdoing.
Jawad Bhatti, MD, is facing a 26-count indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice after he allegedly advertised the use of ozone gas as a treatment for pain, then billed Medicare and Medicaid for the unapproved procedures.
For the second time in less than two years, the struggling retail pharmacy chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking buyers as it prepares for store closures.
State Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics, accusing the two PBMs of manipulating rebate pricing, "crippling small, independent pharmacies and restricting access to lifesaving medications in the process."
The states argue the Department of Health and Human Services is failing to perform basic functions, in violation of the Constitution, as the agency and its programs are authorized by Congress.
Erin Strotman, 26, has been charged in a 12-count indictment for incidents of alleged neglect and abuse. Her license to practice nursing has also been suspended, pending trial.
The three insurance giants are accused of conspiring with brokers to enroll profitable patients in Medicare Advantage plans, in exchange for "hundreds of millions" in kickbacks.
Attorneys are targeting Northwest Radiologists and the related Mount Baker Imaging, who allegedly failed to protect patient info before a January data breach.
Local investigative reporters have uncovered details on a scheme in which patients housed at a seedy motel received treatment for drug abuse as part of a massive Medicare fraud operation.
Lawsuits filed against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission claim the agency has failed to develop the necessary database to license and certify providers in the state, effectively making medical cannabis inaccessible. The law allowing for medical marijuana use passed in 2021.