Legal & Regulatory Issues

Chicago-based Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Meta, Facebook and Instagram were named in a lawsuit filed Aug. 10 accusing the hospital of sharing sensitive patient health data with the social media companies.  

A federal judge dismissed a Rockville Centre, N.Y., physician’s No Surprises Act lawsuit, Newsday reported Aug. 11. 

From nurses suing AdventHealth over an active shooter drill to a news organization suing eight Indiana hospitals, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

Two separate lawsuits, one filed by the city of Brevard, N.C., and a second filed jointly by Buncombe County and the city of Asheville, N.C., could merge into a single large antitrust, class-action lawsuit against Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare and Asheville-based Mission Health, according to an Aug. 5 report from the Asheville Citizen Times.

A Georgia nurse practitioner has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution for her role in an orthopedic telemedicine fraud scheme, the Justice Department said Aug. 9. 

IndyStar sued eight Indiana hospitals for allegedly violating state records laws by withholding information on how they are spending public funding they’ve received for their nursing homes, IndyStar reported Aug. 10. 

Tenet Healthcare and Steward Health Care System are battling in Delaware Chancery Court over whether Tenet can end information technology and data services to hospitals it sold to Steward last year, according to Law360. 

Huntington Memorial Hospital (now known as Huntington Health) in Pasadena, Calif., has settled allegations that it brought up the education of and then wrongfully fired a registered nurse who complained about discrimination and retaliation, according to a City News Service report published Aug. 8 in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.  

Two nurses are suing Danville, Ind.-based Hendricks Regional Health, alleging that the system has chronically underpaid hourly staff members for time spent preparing for their shifts, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported Aug. 8. 

A New Jersey hospital’s marketing director was arrested after police found more than three dozen guns hidden inside an unlocked closet at the hospital, according to the Secaucus Police Department.

A Southern California federally qualified health center has accused past board members, executives, and contractors of racketeering, fraud, nepotism, excessive compensation, and blatant self-dealing, according to an Aug. 6 report from The San Diego Union-Tribune. 

Two AdventHealth nurses at an emergency room in Ocala, Fla., are suing the hospital over a training session that included a simulated active shooter exercise that trainees were not informed was part of a drill, Fox 35 Orlando reported Aug. 5.

From a for-profit hospital operator facing an antitrust lawsuit to an Illinois health system entering into a settlement in a vaccine mandate case, here are the latest hospital lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

A certified nursing assistant who worked at PeaceHealth Cottage Grove (Ore.) Community Medical Center has filed a lawsuit, claiming he was fired in retaliation for his complaints about what he described as unsafe staffing, according to The Lund Report.

A nurse has been sentenced to one year in prison for tampering with injectable fentanyl while working at a hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., the U.S. Justice Department said July 20.

A patient atWashington, D.C.-based Deanwood Rehabilitation and Wellness Center was charged July 21 with second-degree murder in the bludgeoning of his 80-year-old roommate with a metal bed rail, The Washington Post reported July 21.

Gary, Ind.-based Methodist Hospitals has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit for $425,000 following a June 2019 phishing attack that compromised the protected health information of patients. 

Biogen has agreed to pay $900 million to resolve False Claim Act allegations involving kickbacks.

Thirty-six people across the U.S. were charged for their alleged roles in schemes involving $1.2 billion in fraudulent telemedicine, durable medical equipment, cardiovascular and cancer genetic testing, the Justice Department announced July 20. 

A North Carolina judge is seeking answers from HCA Healthcare by July 25 in a class-action lawsuit alleging the Nashville, Tenn.-based hospital operator engaged in anti-competitive tactics. 

An employee was arrested July 19 at Reeves County Hospital in Pecos, Texas, after police found him in his office in possession of a gun, according to NewsWest 9. 

Law enforcement has charged a woman accused of impersonating a nurse to try to kidnap a newborn infant at Riverside University Health System-Medical Center in Moreno Valley, Calif., according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Three providers settled self-reported fraud claims for $500,000 or more in June, according to the HHS Office of the Inspector General: 

Stillwater-based Oklahoma State University Center for Health Science has agreed to pay a financial penalty of $875,000 to resolve allegations it violated HIPAA privacy, security and breach notification rules stemming from a 2018 data breach. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Biden administration over HHS guidance that says hospitals must provide abortions in emergency cases. 

Chapel Hill, N.C.-based University of North Carolina Health will pay a $125,000 settlement to two blind patients who said the system did not provide billing or health information in Braille or any other accessible format, according to a report in The Charlotte Observer.

Berwyn, Pa.-based Fresenius Vascular Care has been accused of defrauding Medicare and other healthcare programs through “billing for unnecessary procedures” at nine of its locations, the Justice Department said July 13. 

A Pompano Beach, Fla.-based specialty pharmacy agreed to pay $1.31 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims to Medicare for prescriptions for an expensive treatment used for opioid overdoses. 

A New York man is facing the potential of nearly five decades in prison after a federal jury convicted him July 13 for an elaborate $600 million healthcare billing fraud, wire fraud and identity theft scheme.

A class-action lawsuit was filed against Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and its affiliate, San Antonio, Texas-based Baptist Health System, over an April data breach that has affected 1.2 million patients, the Dallas Morning News reported July 12. 

David Jankowski, DO, was convicted on July 11 by a federal jury in Detroit on 30 charges related to the unlawful distribution of schedule II, III and IV controlled substances and healthcare fraud.

A CEO running dozens of companies across two states has been indicted in New Jersey after he allegedly trafficked billions of dollars worth of fake Cisco equipment and sold it to hospitals and other organizations.

Many physicians are expressing concern that they may be at risk of prosecution for providing miscarriage care in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s overturning, Roll Call reported July 12.

A nurse and paramedic were stabbed July 11 inside SSM Health DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton, Mo., according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

HHS issued guidance to hospitals July 11 to clarify that abortion is covered under the federal law requiring Medicare hospitals to provide all patients appropriate emergency care — including abortion care — regardless of state law.

From a West Virginia health system accused of wrongful termination to former employees suing a Minnesota system over its vaccination policy, here are the latest hospital lawsuits making headlines. 

An appeals court has given nine Maine healthcare workers who challenged the state’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate based on their religious objections until July 11 to file an amended complaint with their names, the Portland Press Herald reported.

Teladoc and Amwell settled their patent infringement lawsuit over technologies used in remote patient monitoring, Bloomberg Law reported July 6.  

Weirton (W.Va.) Medical Center has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and Stark Law by knowingly submitting or causing the submission of claims to Medicare that violated the Stark Law.

The U.S. Justice Department and HHS brought in more than $5 billion in healthcare fraud settlements in fiscal year 2021, according to a report jointly released by the agencies July 5. 

From the conviction of a former healthcare management company leader in a $1.4 billion billing scheme, to a  Kentucky physician agreeing to pay more than $500,000 to settle allegations he submitted more than $3 million false claims to Medicare, here are nine healthcare billing fraud cases that have made headlines since June 10: 

West Palm Beach, Fla.-based MorseLife Nursing Home Health System agreed to pay $1.75 million June 30 to settle claims that they vaccinated hundreds of ineligible people for COVID-19 at a clinic as part of the CDC’s Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program.

Two women contracted as housekeepers at Detroit’s Harper University Hospital and Hutzel Women’s Hospital filed a lawsuit June 30, claiming they were fired in retaliation for reporting concerns about what they described as dirty operating rooms and other unsanitary conditions, according to court documents obtained by Becker’s.

A lawsuit was filed against clinical guidance software vendor MCG Health over a March data breach that has affected at least eight healthcare organizations. 

The Supreme Court on June 30 decided it would not hear a challenge to New York’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for healthcare workers that does not include a religious exemption, according to The Washington Post.

An Iowa man has been sentenced June 29 to more than two years in prison for wrongfully accessing and disclosing information from patient records at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Medicine faces a lawsuit filed by a former employee who alleges she was wrongfully fired, the West Virginia Record reported June 23.

The former leader of a rural hospital chain has been convicted for his role in an elaborate pass-through billing scheme, the Justice Department announced June 27. 

The former leader of a rural hospital chain has been convicted for his role in an elaborate pass-through billing scheme, the Justice Department announced June 27. 

States where abortion remains legal are acting to legally protect healthcare providers who perform abortions and reproductive health services for out-of-state residents who live where the procedure is banned or restricted and travel to recieve services. 

The former CFO of Pacific Hospital’s physician management arm was sentenced to 15 months in prison June 24 for a tax offense related to a kickback scheme, according to the Justice Department. 

UPMC faces a lawsuit filed by a patient whose incorrect COVID-19 diagnosis resulted in the cancellation of his summer 2020 wedding, The Tribune-Review reports.

The Supreme Court sided with upheld the HHS approach to calculating certain Medicare payments to hospitals that serve a large number of low-income patients, CNN reported June 24. 

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center agreed to a $450,000 settlement to resolve allegations relating to a 2020 data breach that compromised the protected health information of about 36,000 patients, The National Law Review reported June 16. 

Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic faces lawsuits from 27 former employees alleging they were wrongly fired after being denied religious exemptions from the health system’s program requiring COVID-19 vaccination, the Star Tribune reported June 23. 

From the U.S. Supreme Court overturning a payment cut to hospitals to former hospital employees losing an appeal in a vaccination mandate case, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits making headlines. 

Biotechnology company Enanta Pharmaceuticals slapped Pfizer with a patent infringement lawsuit and is seeking compensation for the vaccine-maker’s antiviral treatment, Paxlovid.  

The U.S. Supreme Court said on June 21 it will review whether a False Claims Act whistleblower’s suit alleging that Executive Health Resources defrauded Medicare by falsely designating patient admissions should have proceeded despite the Justice Department’s opposition, Bloomberg Law reported June 21.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act into law June 17, allowing healthcare institutions, medical practitioners and health insurers to deny non-emergent care that conflicts with their “religious, moral or ethical beliefs.”

Facebook is facing a lawsuit alleging the company is receiving private medical data when patients access hospital websites for healthcare providers, Bloomberg reported June 17. 

An Illinois marketing firm owner was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for his role in a $3.1 million kickback scheme involving Janesville, Wis.-based Mercyhealth.

The former director of risk management at West Tennessee Healthcare has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for wire fraud. 

A Florida telemedicine company owner was sentenced to 14 years in prison for healthcare and wire fraud that cost Medicare more than $20 million dollars. 

A Florida telemedicine company owner was sentenced to 14 years in prison for healthcare and wire fraud that cost Medicare more than $20 million dollars. 

Moving care outside the hospital and into patients’ homes can have a powerful impact on reducing health disparities. But first, providers must overcome regulatory barriers.

A federal appeals court on June 13 affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit over Houston Methodist’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, the Houston Chronicle reported June 14. 

From a health system settling kickback allegations to a for-profit hospital operator facing an antitrust lawsuit, here are the latest hospital lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

The U.S. Supreme Court sided with hospital groups June 15 in a case challenging HHS’ 340B payment cuts. 

The popularity of travel nursing is leaving healthcare facilities and the companies serving them susceptible to misclassification accusations and joint-employer disputes, Bloomberg Law reported June 14.

Four providers settled self-reported fraud claims in May, according to the HHS Office of the Inspector General: 

Orlando Health filed a federal lawsuit June 9 against Liberty HealthShare, accusing the healthcare-sharing ministry of trying to get free services it should have paid for and disputing claims without providing details. 

From a former Kentucky lawmaker who plead guilty to charges in connection to a $2.7 million fraudulent billing scheme, to a Florida medical biller sentenced to more than five years in prison, here are nine recent healthcare billing fraud cases:  

Critics of a June 6 U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Medicaid clawbacks from personal injury litigation wins say the decision could result in less money for state Medicaid programs, Bloomberg reported June 10. 

Dallas-based Steward Health Care has agreed to pay $4.7 million to resolve kickback allegations. 

The Federal Trade Commission is considering a new regulation to tighten employers’ use of noncompete clauses and plans to target the use of noncompete clauses in individual cases through enforcement, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

Eight lawsuits have been filed challenging the No Surprises Act since December, Health Affairs reported June 6. 

Teladoc is facing a lawsuit alleging the company misled investors regarding its business, operations and future prospects that will result in “significant losses and damages” for stakeholders.  

HCA Healthcare, a for-profit hospital operator based in Nashville, Tenn., is facing another antitrust lawsuit. 

Gregory Ulrich, who shot and killed one person and injured four others at an Allina Health clinic in 2021, was found convicted of all 11 counts against him June 2, according to the Star Tribune.

The U.S. The Supreme Court ruled that states can seek reimbursements for future medical care from Medicaid beneficiaries who win money in personal injury litigation, Bloomberg reported June 6. 

The California legislature has voted to approve a bill that designates the spread of misinformation regarding COVID-19 by a member of its medical board an act of misconduct.

Knoxville-based East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is facing a lawsuit after a number of patients’ personal health information was exposed in a March 2022 data breach, 10News reported June 2. 

A group of healthcare providers in Florida filed a lawsuit June 1 to block the state’s new abortion ban, according to The Hill. 

The family of a nursing assistant killed by a co-worker in October at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has filed a lawsuit against the hospital alleging wrongful death and negligence. 

As more hospitals and health systems mandated COVID-19 vaccination for their employees, lawsuits arose related to the policies.

As more hospitals and health systems mandated COVID-19 vaccination for their employees, lawsuits arose related to the policies.

A father and son formerly employed by Kaiser Permanente were sentenced May 27 for a scheme they operated from 2010 to 2018 to defraud the health system, resulting in the loss of $1.5 million.

Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center is accused of violating state law by firing a new employee, along with two executives who helped hire her, over concerns about her political views and activism work, according to the Times Union.

From a health system facing an antitrust lawsuit to a Georgia hospital accused of disability discrimination, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

A lawsuit filed by UPMC McKeesport (Pa.), part of Pittsburgh-based UPMC, over union claims that the hospital owes about $300,000 in pension contributions has been dismissed, according to a May 26 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report.

HHS has formally withdrawn a rule that would have required the department to widely review its regulations and potentially void a number of them.

The Equal Employment Oppor­tunity Commission filed a lawsuit accusing Atlanta-based Grady Memorial Hospital of failing to accommodate the disability of an employee and then firing her because of her disability.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law May 25 that prohibits most abortions starting at fertilization, making it the most restrictive abortion ban in the U.S., according to The New York Times.

The former CEO of a Melbourne, Fla.-based healthcare network charged in a “pump-and-dump” scheme pleaded guilty May 24 to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, according to the Justice Department. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit alleging the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany evaded its fiduciary and legal responsibilities to former hospital employees by mishandling the hospital’s pension.

A proposed class-action lawsuit accuses Advocate Aurora Health of engaging in anticompetitive practices that have raised healthcare costs for Wisconsin employers. 

The University of California will pay $374.4 million to resolve claims by 312 women who alleged they were sexually abused when treated by a former longtime UCLA gynecologist, according to a UCLA statement shared with Becker’s on May 24. 

The American Hospital Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Association of American Medical Colleges filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging that Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by choosing a retirement plan other than the least expensive available.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill May 23 that will raise the cap on the amount patients can receive in pain and suffering payments as part of medical malpractice cases, marking the first change to the limitation since the legislation was enacted in 1975.

Walgreens filed a lawsuit against Hagerstown, Md.-based Meritus Medical Center May 13, alleging the hospital’s new pharmacy violates a contract with the retail pharmacy chain.

From the founders of three Texas medical labs pleading guilty to a $300 million scheme, to the sentencing of a Florida pharmacy owner for his role in a $174 million scheme, here are nine recent healthcare billing fraud cases:

Delaware County of Pennsylvania filed a preliminary injunction with the county’s Court of Common Pleas to sue Crozer Health and its parent company, Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings, for its plan to close several mental health services, according to court documents.

Stephanie Russell, MD, was arrested May 19 on a charge of using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, according to the Justice Department. 

The American Hospital Association, on behalf of its nearly 5,000 healthcare organizations, is urging the Justice Department to probe routine denials from commercial health insurance companies. 

A Florida pharmacy owner was sentenced to 14 years in prison over his role in a $174 million fraud scheme, the Justice Department said May 18.

Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic could face a slew of lawsuits from employees alleging they were wrongly fired for refusing COVID-19 vaccines, the Post Bulletin reported May 18.

A proposed class action lawsuit was filed against Aetna Healthcare of California May 16 alleging the insurer evaded its obligations to fully cover COVID-19 diagnostic testing. 

A California physician faces multiple charges over allegations he issued fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and injected some of his patients with blood plasma he received from donors.

From an Oklahoma hospital resolving false claims allegations to a Tennessee health system facing a retaliation lawsuit, here are the latest hospital lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

With the Senate’s confirmation of Alvaro Bedoya to the Federal Trade Commission on May 11, Democrats now have a 3-2 majority in the FTC, which will likely lead to heightened scrutiny of competition in healthcare, Paul Keckley, PhD, wrote May 16 in The Keckley Report.

A former nurse at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa, is suing the hospital for retaliation, alleging she was fired in November after raising concerns about questionable patient deaths, fraudulent billing, and the manipulation of patient outcomes for stronger statistics, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported May 13. 

The world of value-based care (VBC) is placing an increased focus on health equity goals.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Envision Healthcare is suing UnitedHealth Group, accusing the payer of scheming to underpay front-line healthcare providers and push organizations out of network. 

Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke’s Health System filed a lawsuit May 11 related to a March protest over an infant’s care that prompted a hospital lockdown.

Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine, owes a psychologist nearly $181,000 in back pay, damages and interest related to her claim of gender-based pay discrimination in violation of the state’s equal pay law, according to the Bangor Daily News.

An LHC Group shareholder is suing the company and its board of directors over the proposed merger with UnitedHealth Group’s Optum unit, Lawstreet Media reported May 9. 

Eight states are asking a federal judge in Mississippi to throw out a CMS rule encouraging the formation of physician anti-racism plans, arguing the rule violates a Medicare reimbursement law. 

From a telehealth company accused of using unsafe prescribing practices to dozens of medical practices suing UnitedHealth, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.

HHS requested a hold on its appeal of a Texas federal court ruling that voided part of the arbitration process outlined under the No Surprises Act. 

A former vice president of Janesville, Wis.-based Mercyhealth was sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison May 4 for wire fraud and tax evasion in relation to a $3.1 million kickback scheme, according to the U.S Justice Department.

Memphis, Tenn.-based Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp., and its physician group must face a retaliation lawsuit filed by a nurse practitioner who claimed the organization violated the False Claims Act by retaliating against her for raising billing fraud concerns, a Tennessee district court ruled May 2. 

Attorneys representing employers and health plan enrollees in a long-running antitrust suit against Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health filed a notice of appeal April 26. 

A former executive at Cerebral claims he was fired in part for raising concerns about prescribing practices at the telepsychiatry company, The Wall Street Journal reported April 29. 

A group of emergency room physicians filed a lawsuit in March alleging representatives for their employer, American Physician Partners, discouraged them from testing for COVID-19 and pressured them to work while ill, according to the Houston Chronicle. 

A Texarkana, Texas-based air ambulance company is suing HHS and other federal agencies over the No Surprises Act. 

A California physician was sentenced to 93 months in prison April 28 aftering being convicted of a $12 million Medicare fraud scheme and reusing single-use catheters on patients.   

A former Yale New Haven Health Systems payroll worker admitted April 27 to her role in an embezzlement scheme that defrauded more than $100,000 from the health system. 

From Tenet Healthcare suing the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to hospitals suing HHS over a Medicare billing calculation, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits making headlines. 

A New York physician agreed to pay $564,217 to resolve allegations of submitting false claims to Medicare, the Justice Department said April 27. 

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare has filed a lawsuit to prevent the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration from inspecting the Hospitals of Providence Transmountain location in El Paso, Texas, to determine whether workers there are vaccinated against COVID-19 in compliance with CMS’ vaccination mandate, Bloomberg Law reported.

A Mississippi pharmacist was sentenced to 10 years in prison over his role in an $180 million fraud scheme, the Justice Department said April 26.

Police have arrested a man in connection to the Jan. 27 attack of an intensive care unit nurse at Ochsner Medical Center-West Bank in Gretna, La., according to nola.com. 

HHS April 22 filed a notice of appeal regarding a Texas federal judge’s ruling that sided with providers in a lawsuit over the No Surprises Act. 

The Dutch multinational healthcare conglomerate Royal Philips NV has been issued a subpoena by the Department of Justice regarding a recall of a sleep apnea device, reported The Wall Street Journal April 25. 

Cleveland Clinic is among more than 125 hospitals and health systems suing HHS regarding the calculation of payments owed under Medicare Part A bills and the disproportionate share hospital payment adjustment, Law Street Media reported April 21. 

The former CFO of UK HealthCare in Lexington, Ky., was awarded $1.75 million by a jury April 20 in a wrongful termination lawsuit, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.

From health systems settling false claims allegations to a hospital sued over its debt collection practices, here are the latest hospital lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

The Justice Department criminally charged 21 people, including physicians, a director of pharmacy and executives of medical clinics, for their alleged participation in scams that exploited COVID-19 and resulted in millions of dollars of fraudulent billings, according to an April 20 news release.

HHS is planning to change a “conscience” rule, enacted during the Trump administration, that allows healthcare workers to refuse service that conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs, reported Politico April 19. 

William Husel, a former physician at Columbus, Ohio-based Mount Carmel Health System, has been found not guilty of murder in a case where he was accused of prescribing excessive painkiller doses to accelerate the death of critically ill patients, NBC News reported April 20. 

From an Alabama physician pleading guilty to submitting $28 million in improper bills to the Justice Department intervening in an $800 million fraud case against Memphis, Tenn.-based Methodist Le Bonheur, here are 11 healthcare billing fraud cases that made headlines in the last month:

A former director at West Virginia University Medicine affiliate Princeton Community Hospital is accusing the healthcare institution of violating patient safety and age discrimination laws.

West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Rennova Health is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department about money it received from HHS provider relief funds and the Paycheck Protection Program for a shuttered Tennessee hospital, according to a recent financial filing.

Jurors deliberating in the trial of William Husel, MD, a physician facing murder charges for the deaths of 14 hospital patients, said they have hit an impasse and could not reach a verdict April 18, according to CBS News.

Kent Thiry, former CEO of dialysis giant DaVita, and the company were found not guilty in an antitrust case April 15, reported the Colorado Sun. 

The former owner of a Texas healthcare staffing firm was convicted April 14 of obstructing the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation into wage fixing, according to the Justice Department. 

From the Justice Department accusing a Tennessee health system of fraud to a Washington health system agreeing to pay $22.7 million to resolve false claims allegations, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.  

A hospital technician who was attacked and critically burned by a traveling nurse in February at Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center has sued the organization.

Tampa, Fla.-based Physician Partners of America will pay $24.5 million to settle several allegations, including that it violated the False Claims Act and made a false statement to obtain a loan through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. 

The Justice Department on April 11 filed a complaint in intervention alleging Memphis-based Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute. 

A Medicare payment formula change enacted in fiscal year 2020 unlawfully lowered reimbursements for 34 urban hospitals, a federal district court ruled April 8. 

A petition signed by thousands of nurses nationwide to grant RaDonda Vaught clemency has taken off in the weeks since her conviction for a fatal medication error, but the movement may be in vain. 

The Justice Department has intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit accusing former executives of San Antonio-based Merida Health Care Group of violating the False Claims Act, according to Law360. 

From a Florida health system agreeing to pay $20 million to resolve false claims allegations to former Texas health system executives accused of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

A California appeals court ruled April 5 that a psychiatric hospital in Ventura can be held responsible for sexual abuse by an employee, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

A California appeals court ruled April 5 that a psychiatric hospital in Ventura can be held responsible for sexual abuse by an employee, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

A California-licensed homeopathic doctor pleaded guilty to wire fraud and false statement charges after selling homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets and falsifying COVID-19 vaccination cards to make it appear patients received the Moderna vaccine, the Justice Department said April 6.  

A California-licensed homeopathic doctor pleaded guilty to wire fraud and false statement charges after selling homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets and falsifying COVID-19 vaccination cards to make it appear patients received the Moderna vaccine, the Justice Department said April 6.  

Clearwater, Fla.-based BayCare Health System has agreed to pay the U.S. $20 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, the Justice Department announced April 6. 

The former CEO and CFO of a Texas health system are among 18 defendants named in a false claims complaint, alleging violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law, the Justice Department announced April 4. 

From a cardiologist suing an EHR vendor to an ambulance company resolving improper claims allegations, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

The former CEO of Bristol (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center who participated in a surgical procedure without a medical license is being accused of assault with a deadly weapon by the patient, according to WJHL. 

Hospitals can use financial reports from Equifax and other credit reporting agencies to help determine a patient’s propensity to pay medical debt under Medicare rules, a federal district court ruled March 29. 

The American Hospital Association is urging the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department to update merger guidelines in two ways. 

A lawsuit filed by two Indiana hospitals over a Medicare payment calculation was properly dismissed by an HHS appeal board, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled March 25.

The Justice Department has filed a notice that it will join a whistleblower lawsuit against EHR vendor Modernizing Medicine and its CEO and co-founder, Daniel Cane.

A jury convicted former Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult, ⁠The Tennessean reports. 

San Diego-based Scripps Health employees filed a lawsuit against the health system after the Kronos data breach affected their pay.

Two brothers who operated a pair of South Florida addiction treatment facilities were sentenced to prison March 21 for a $112 million billing fraud scheme. 

From a New York health system suing its insurer in an attempt to recoup losses to an Arkansas hospital sued for allegedly failing to protect patient information, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits making headlines. 

Over the last two months, several lawsuits over healthcare companies’ billing and reimbursement practices have made headlines. 

Over the last two months, several lawsuits over healthcare companies’ billing and reimbursement practices have made headlines. 

Ten Texas physicians and a healthcare executive who operates a group of medical practices in Florida agreed to pay a total of $1.68 million to settle kickback allegations, according to a March 22 Justice Department news release.

A self-funded employer in Louisiana is suing Knoxville, Tenn.-based TeamHealth over what it considers inappropriate billing and “systematic overcharges.” 

Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Cottage Health sued Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, alleging the insurer routinely underpaid claims, according to the Santa Barbara Independent.

Jury selection began March 21 for the trial of RaDonda Leanne Vaught, a former nurse facing criminal charges over a fatal medication error, according to CBS affiliate WTVF. 

From 12 physicians receiving prison sentences in a $250 million billing fraud scheme to a Tennessee court allowing the Justice Department to intervene in an $800 million fraud case against Memphis, Tenn.-based Methodist Le Bonheur, here are seven healthcare billing fraud cases that made headlines since March 1:

Buffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health is suing its insurance provider, American Guarantee and Liability Insurance Co., arguing it should cover $228 million in losses tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Buffalo News reported March 21. 

Louisiana residents Denis and Donna Joachim were sentenced March 17 for creating, marketing and operating a $48 million fraudulent medical reimbursement program, according to a Justice Department news release.

Former Virginia physician Leonard Rosen, MD, was sentenced March 18 for his role in a $1.8 million fraud scheme that exploited payers and patients, according to The Washington Post.

From a health system defeating an antitrust lawsuit to a defunct Arkansas hospital sued for allegedly failing to protect patient information, here are the latest hospital lawsuits making headlines. 

The Arkansas attorney general filed a lawsuit March 17 against a defunct hospital accusing it of failing to protect sensitive patient information after it closed.

The Justice Department can intervene in a lawsuit accusing Methodist Le Bonheur of orchestrating a kickback scheme and submitting hundreds of millions of dollars in false claims, the Commercial Appeal reported March 15. 

Democrats in both chambers of Congress introduced a bill March 16 that would require the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department to overhaul their merger processes, according to Politico. 

A patient filed a putative class-action lawsuit against Charlotte, N.C.-based Novant Health, accusing the health system of charging a hidden fee for emergency room visits. 

Idaho on March 14 passed legislation that would ban abortions after about six weeks and allow families to sue clinicians who perform the procedures. The bill is modeled after Texas’ law, which took effect last September, according to The New York Times. 

Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health has defeated a $411 million class-action lawsuit alleging that it used its market power to negotiate restrictive contracts with major insurers and overcharge millions of premium-paying patients, according to Law360.

A California physician and a patient recruiter were charged with bilking Medicare out of more than $36 million, the Justice Department said this week.

UMass Memorial Health employees have filed a lawsuit against the Worcester, Mass.-based system, claiming they did not receive wages owed to them after hackers infiltrated the payroll system in December.

From the Colorado Supreme Court reviewing a medical billing case to a health insurance company suing a former executive, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

Twelve physicians in Michigan and Ohio were among 16 defendants sentenced to prison for a healthcare fraud scheme that involved submitting $250 million in false billings to insurers, the Justice Department said March 9. 

A patient at Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a fellow patient, local police said March 9. 

Fort Myers, Fla.-based Lee Health and Cape Coral (Fla.) Hospital agreed to pay $12.7 million to resolve allegations that they submitted claims to federal insurers for services that didn’t meet coverage criteria.

A New York physician pleaded guilty to billing Medicare for millions of dollars for medical services that were never rendered, the Justice Department said March 7.

The Colorado Supreme Court will take up a lawsuit March 8 centering on whether a patient who expected to pay $1,337 for a surgery will be on the hook for more of the bill that reached $303,709, according to the Denver Post.

St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System in Savannah, Ga., may have violated federal disability law by rescinding a job offer from a man with HIV, a federal judge ruled March 3, according to Bloomberg Law.

St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System in Savannah, Ga., may have violated federal disability law by rescinding a job offer from a man with HIV, a federal judge ruled March 3, according to Bloomberg Law.

The former director of materials management at Three Rivers Medical Center in Louisa, Ky., pleaded guilty March 1 to mail fraud and admitted stealing more than $700,000 worth of medical and office supplies from the hospital, according to the Lexington Herald Leader. 

HHS will further delay the start date on a rule that would require the department to eliminate existing regulations after 10 years unless the department reviewed them and could justify keeping the regulation in place, according to an March 3 Federal Register notice.

From a Connecticut health system battling antitrust allegations to a Dallas-based health system accused of fraud, here are the latest health system lawsuits making headlines. 

As of January, the No Surprises Act prohibits surprise billing for out-of-network services.

An Illinois businessman pleaded guilty March 1 to a federal fraud charge for swindling money from a hospital that paid him for N95 masks in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Justice Department. 

A Tennessee physician and his wife were convicted in a scheme that involved billing health insurance companies for more than $50 million in fraudulent or medically unnecessary services, the Justice Department said March 2. 

Dallas-based Steward Health Care will face a class-action lawsuit alleging that the system overbilled patients or demanded payments from third parties not responsible for the bills, a federal court ruled Feb. 25. 

Hartford HealthCare filed a motion Feb. 23 to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit by St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center — both based in Hartford, Conn. — that claims Hartford HealthCare engaged in unfair competition.

Since UnitedHealth Group said it intended to acquire health technology company Change Healthcare in January 2021, both provider advocates and regulators have pushed back against the $13 billion deal.

A primary care physician in Mission, Texas, paid the federal government $504,588 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act, the Justice Department said Feb. 24.

From a Massachusetts hospital settling a whistleblower case to a Washington-based health system facing a suit over its collection tactics, here are the latest hospital lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

Washington state’s attorney general has filed suit against Providence, alleging that 14 of its hospitals engaged in aggressive tactics to collect payment, failed to ensure discounts for eligible low-income patients, and steered poor patients to debt collectors. 

The Justice Department on Feb. 24 filed a lawsuit challenging UnitedHealth Group’s planned acquisition of health technology company Change Healthcare. 

A federal judge ruled Feb. 23 that the contentious No Surprises Act arbitration process implemented by HHS violated the Administrative Procedure Act, delivering a win to the Texas Medical Association, according to Law360. 

Patients across the U.S. are challenging hospitals’ high prices for care, several recent lawsuits have highlighted. 

A patient has filed a lawsuit against Greenville, N.C.-based Vidant Health, alleging the 1,477-bed system engaged in deceptive billing and debt collection practices.

Community Medical Center in Missoula, Mont., said it is disappointed about a lawsuit filed by workers claiming that they were underpaid, particularly because the issue stems from a ransomware attack with Kronos Enterprise System, a third-party vendor.

Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital has agreed to pay $14.6 million to settle a federal whistleblower lawsuit alleging that the hospital violated Medicare and Medicaid rules when some of its orthopedic surgeons engaged in concurrent surgeries, according to The Boston Globe.

From Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health agreeing to pay $1 million to settle allegations that it improperly billed Medicare, to a Florida physician being convicted of billing health insurance companies for $110 million in medically unnecessary services, here are nine healthcare billing fraud cases making headlines since Jan. 1:

Workers at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Mont., are accusing their employer of underpaying them, the Missoulian reported Feb. 17. 

A physician has been arrested and charged with battery after allegedly repeatedly striking an unresponsive patient at UF Health Leesburg (Fla.) Hospital, Leesburg-News reported Feb. 16. 

From a jury siding with a Missouri health system CEO in a legal battle over one of his tweets to a New Hampshire hospital settling a false claims case, here are the latest hospital lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

There are six lawsuits currently filed targeting the rules in the No Surprises Act, which went into effect Jan.1, Health Affairs reported Feb. 16.

A 12-person jury in Missouri sided with CoxHealth and its CEO on Feb. 16 in a lawsuit filed by the mother of a patient who alleged defamation, discrimination and breach of privacy, according to KY3 News. 

Three Ohio providers will pay $3.19 million to settle allegations of submitting improper claims to Medicare and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, according to The Columbus Dispatch. 

Six Connecticut residents filed a lawsuit against Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare, alleging that the health system used unlawful and anticompetitive methods to drive up healthcare prices in the state. 

Naples, Fla.-based NCH Healthcare System will pay the U.S. $5.5 million to settle allegations that it made donations to the local government to improperly fund Florida’s Medicaid payments to the system.

A Florida physician was convicted Feb. 10 for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme that involved billing health insurance companies for $110 million in medically unnecessary services, according to the Justice Department. 

Northern Light Acadia Hospital violated Maine’s equal pay law by paying male and female employees different wages for the same work, a federal judge ruled Feb. 8. 

Epic, IBM, Teladoc Health and Athenahealth are among the companies supporting proposed health privacy legislation aimed at modernizing outdated health privacy laws and regulations.

From a New Hampshire hospital resolving false claims allegations to nurses accusing PeaceHealth of retaliation, here are the latest hospital lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

 A federal appeals court on Feb. 9 declined to reinstate the Biden administration’s vaccination requirement for federal employees, according to CNN.  

Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H., agreed to pay $3.8 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act through providing kickbacks, the Justice Department said Feb. 9. 

A 13-year Medicare payment dispute over a formula for calculating supplemental reimbursements will head back to HHS to be reevaluated, The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled Feb. 8.

The University of California will pay $243.6 million to resolve claims by 203 women who alleged that they were sexually abused when treated by a former longtime University of California Los Angeles gynecologist, according to a UCLA statement shared with Becker’s.

Sixteen state attorneys general asked a federal judge Feb. 4 to block the federal vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. 

From an Ohio health system sued over a ransomware attack to a for-profit hospital operator owing fees in a $98 million fraud case, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

UPMC McKeesport (Pa.), part of Pittsburgh-based UPMC, has filed a lawsuit over union claims that the hospital owes about $300,000 in pension contributions, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  

A jury found a Georgia nurse practitioner guilty of five counts of healthcare fraud, aggravated identity theft and other charges related to a multimillion dollar telemedicine scheme.

A Grand Rapids, Mich.-based federal grand jury charged a former physician of Bronson Hospital in Battle Creek, Mich., with 34 counts of healthcare fraud and eight counts of making false statements.

Service Employees International Union is taking aim at Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, accusing the hospital operator of maximizing profits at the expense of patient care and obtaining more than $1 billion in fraudulent payments from Medicare.

A group of international nurses is suing Health Carousel, a healthcare staffing agency, accusing the company of wage theft and other unfair labor practices, Bloomberg reported Feb. 2.

The Justice Department obtained more than $5.6 billion in fraud and false claims settlements and judgments in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2021, and most of the recoveries were related to healthcare.

Two nurses on New York’s Long Island are being accused of selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and entering the false information into the New York State Immunization Information System database, according to The Washington Post.

ThedaCare has dropped a lawsuit against Ascension Northeast Wisconsin that sought to prevent employees from leaving to join Ascension’s hospital in Appleton, The Post-Crescent reported.

Whistleblowers who helped the federal government reach a $98 million false claims settlement with Community Health Systems in 2014 can recover attorneys fees from the Franklin, Tenn.-based hospital operator, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Jan. 25, according to Bloomberg Law. 

The former executive of a South Florida pharmacy, Matthew Smith, has pleaded guilty for his role in an $88 million scheme that defrauded Tricare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, healthcare benefit programs for the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. 

From health systems facing antitrust lawsuits to hospital employees suing over retirement plan fees, here are the latest hospital lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

A Mississippi pharmacist was sentenced to five years in prison Jan. 26 for his role in a $180 million healthcare fraud scheme, according to the Justice Department. 

New York City nonprofit Upsolve and a pastor filed a lawsuit Jan. 25 against the state attorney general’s office in an effort to allow people to receive free legal advice over debt collections, including medical debt, according to court documents.

New York state’s mask mandate has been shot down as unconstitutional, a judge ruled, The New York Times reported Jan. 25. 

A Wisconsin judge lifted an order that prevented seven ThedaCare employees from leaving to join Ascension Northeast Wisconsin, both Appleton-based, until ThedaCare could find enough replacements, The New York Times reported Jan. 24.

Florida has dropped its challenge of the CMS COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare workers, although the governor has continued to say his office does not intend to enforce the rule, the Miami Herald reported Jan. 24.