A former security guard at Banner University Medical Center-Phoenix was arrested Nov. 28 after he was accused of committing sexual acts on the body of a deceased 79-year-old woman in the hospital's morgue. 

In a victory for hospitals and medical equipment manufacturer Becton Dickinson, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Nov. 30 that these entities cannot be sued for privacy violations over requiring nurses to scan their fingerprints when accessing medicine for distribution. 

HHS' Office of Inspector General recovered over $3 billion in fraudulent payments in 2023, according to the agency's semiannual report to Congress. 

The co-owner and CEO of a Louisiana diagnostic laboratory was indicted for his alleged role in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid of more than $148 million in unnecessary testing. 

Novo Nordisk has sued about a dozen spas, clinics and pharmacies, over unapproved versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient for its Type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic and weight loss therapy Wegovy. 

Following a seven-week trial, five defendants, including hospital and laboratory executives, have been found guilty in a kickback conspiracy. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit against Pfizer, accusing the drugmaker of misrepresenting the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine.

Two employees of Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore were victims of two separate armed carjacking incidents this week in the hospital parking lot, the hospital confirmed in a statement shared with Becker's.

Police arrested a 21-year-old man who allegedly assaulted Gardner, Mass.-based Heywood Hospital staff, EMS and a civilian before stealing an ambulance, eventually crashing it, Boston25 News reported Nov. 29.

Three defendants will face a jury trial in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., starting Nov. 29 for their role in a coordinated scheme to sell thousands of fraudulent diplomas and transcripts to aspiring nurses, which enabled them to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination without completing the necessary coursework. 

In its decision to recommend the repeal of certificate of need laws, a Georgia Senate committee made up of lawmakers, healthcare executives, and an insurance industry representative is looking to South Carolina, which signed its certificate of need repeal in October 2023, as a model.

Former President Donald Trump is taking to social media to renew calls for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act after a stretch of time in which the healthcare law was not a central issue in U.S. political campaigns. 

A lawsuit has been filed against Klamath Falls, Ore.-based Sky Lakes Medical Center alleging the hospital violated charity care requirements, The Lund Report reported Nov. 28. 

Optum added nearly 20,000 physicians in 2023, Optum Health CEO Amar Desai, MD, said. 

A Georgia Senate committee made up of lawmakers, healthcare executives and an insurance industry representative voted 6 to 3 recommending a repeal of certificate of need laws, The Augusta Chronicle reported Nov. 28.

CVS Health is suing the United States, alleging the government owes it more than $400 million in tax deductions. 

A physician and his wife have pleaded guilty to their roles in a genetic testing kickback and bribery scheme. 

A Virginia-based nurse practitioner pleaded guilty for her role in a $7.8 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment.

Healthcare has long been a favored target of philanthropists, and in most cases, the process is smooth; a new hospital wing is built and named in honor of the donor. However, with millions of dollars changing hands, sometimes donations aren't as simple as signing a check. 

A Nebraska pharmacist pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud, and a federal court ordered her to pay more than $573,000 in restitution.