Four Mississippi residents have been indicted on charges of defrauding insurers of more than  $200 million after creating expensive and unnecessary medications, The New York Times reports.  By Leo Vartorella - 7/2/18

The Kalkaska County Hospital Authority, the operator of Kalkaska (Mich.) Memorial Health Center, is suing three people over a Facebook post and picketing, claiming the moves caused defamation, tortious interference and an invasion of privacy, according to the Traverse City Record Eagle.  By Alia Paavola - 7/2/18

From a former healthcare executive and three surgeons charged in a $950 million kickback scheme to a nurse sentenced to jail for stealing from Medicaid, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.  By Ayla Ellison - 7/2/18

Hospice chain Caris Healthcare has agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle allegations that it knowingly retained overpayments for patients that were ineligible for the Medicare hospice benefit.  By Leo Vartorella - 6/29/18

Federal prosecutors unsealed charges this week against nine new defendants for their alleged roles in a kickback scheme that resulted in the submission of more than $950 million in fraudulent claims, mostly to California's worker compensation system, according to the Department of Justice.  By Ayla Ellison - 6/29/18

Ruben McAusland, a police officer in Paterson, N.J., admitted beating a hospital patient in two attacks in March, according to nj.com.  By Ayla Ellison - 6/28/18

Federal officials charged 601 defendants in alleged schemes involving about $2 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid, the biggest healthcare fraud enforcement action in U.S. Justice Department history, according to the department and HHS Office of Inspector General.  By Kelly Gooch - 6/28/18

A California OB-GYN physician filed a lawsuit against Covina, Calif.-based Citrus Valley Health Partners, claiming the hospital negotiated in bad faith to buy his practice and proceeded to lure away and hire several other physicians at the practice, forcing its closure, according to San Gabriel Valley Tribune.  By Alyssa Rege - 6/28/18

A nurse has been sentenced to one year in jail for stealing more than $390,000 from Medicaid over a five-year period, New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced June 25.  By Ayla Ellison - 6/27/18

A federal judge in California said June 22 Humana cannot dismiss Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare's breach of contract lawsuit accusing the insurer of underpaying for its Medicare Advantage members, according to Law360.  By Morgan Haefner - 6/27/18

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against labor unions June 27, deciding unions representing public-sector employees, including healthcare workers, cannot continue collecting fees from those who choose not to be represented, reports The New York Times.  By Kelly Gooch - 6/27/18

A jury returned a guilty verdict against Kelly Robinett, DO, a former emergency room physician who took a job signing medical paperwork for a home health provider in Texas, as well as two nurses, for their roles in a $13 million fraud scheme, according to The Dallas Morning News.  By Alia Paavola - 6/25/18

Federal prosecutors are recommending a 12-year prison sentence for James Burkhart, the former CEO of Indianapolis-based American Senior Communities, for his role in a $20 million healthcare fraud scheme, according to the Indianapolis Star.  By Alia Paavola - 6/25/18

A Los Angeles man arrested in Gilroy, Calif., last year for impersonating a nurse is scheduled to be sentenced to a year in county jail, according to The Mercury News.  By Leo Vartorella - 6/22/18

CMS issued a request for information June 20 seeking recommendations from the public on how to reduce the burdens of Stark Law compliance.  By Ayla Ellison - 6/22/18

Livingston (Tenn.) Regional Hospital, a 114-bed hospital owned by Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health, will pay $784,000 to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act, according to the U.S. Justice Department.    By Kelly Gooch - 6/21/18

A patient at Buffalo, N.Y.-based Sisters of Charity Hospital was charged Jun 19 with starting a fire in a garbage can in her room, according to The Buffalo News.  By Leo Vartorella - 6/21/18

A jury awarded Centennial, Colo.-based Centura Health $766 in a lawsuit seeking more than $229,000 from a former patient.  By Ayla Ellison - 6/21/18

A district court dismissed a suit claiming UnitedHealthcare violated the Anti-Kickback Statute by providing $25 Walmart gift cards to Medicare beneficiaries who opted to receive free in-home exams.  By Morgan Haefner - 6/21/18

A New York physician filed a $1 million John Doe lawsuit in federal court alleging an anonymous competitor attempted to sabotage her practice by posting a negative review of her on Healthgrades, according to WestFair Communications.  By Alyssa Rege - 6/20/18