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. 

Five employees have filed a lawsuit against Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health, alleging the health system had them use a "corrosive" cleanser to help mitigate high rates of Costridioides difficile in its hospitals, The Sacramento Bee reported Jan. 19. 

HHS' Office of the Inspector General said Jan. 20 it would conduct a nationwide audit of hospitals' compliance with the terms and conditions related to the Provider Relief Fund. 

A federal judge in Texas has blocked enforcement of the Biden administration's vaccination requirement for federal employees, The Hill reported. 

A man has been charged with the attempted murder of two employees who were injured Jan. 18 by an individual inside of New Hanover Regional Medical Center's emergency department in Wilmington, N.C., according to StarNews.

From hospitals facing antitrust claims to health systems settling false claims lawsuits, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 

Seven Texas physicians and a hospital CEO have agreed to pay more than $1.1 million to resolve allegations that they violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law by accepting illegal monetary benefits in exchange for ordering laboratory tests, the Justice Department announced Jan. 20.

HCA Healthcare, a for-profit hospital operator based in Nashville, Tenn., is facing a federal antitrust case in Florida concerning the orthopedic surgery market. 

Four former employees of Boston Children's Hospital are suing the organization over allegations including that it did not fully disclose the expenses associated with its $1.1 billion retirement plan, according to court documents obtained by Becker's.

CMS may enforce its COVID-19 vaccination mandate nationwide after a federal court on Jan. 19 dismissed a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas, Bloomberg Law reported. 

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor will pay $490 million to settle allegations that its former physician sexually abused more than 1,000 patients, according to a lawyer representing some of the survivors. 

The Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department are seeking to rewrite merger guidelines for businesses. 

A Houston physician who resigned her provisional privileges at Houston Methodist Hospital after being suspended for using social media to spread what the hospital called "dangerous misinformation which is not based in science," is suing the hospital, according to Fox 26 Houston.

Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health agreed to pay $1 million to settle allegations it submitted false claims to Medicare, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state will not enforce a federal mandate for COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare settings, which the Supreme Court upheld Jan. 13. 

Two indictments recently unsealed charged 13 defendants, including physicians and other medical professionals, with a $100 million healthcare fraud, money laundering and bribery scheme, according to a Jan. 12 Justice Department news release.

The Supreme Court on Jan. 13 blocked enforcement of the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccinate-or-test rule for workers at larger businesses. However, justices kept in place CMS' vaccination mandate for eligible staff at healthcare facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.