From a Texas medical clinic's owners found guilty of Medicare fraud to the Illinois Supreme Court weighing in on the constitutionality of property tax exemptions for nonprofit hospitals, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits making headlines.
1. 2 clinic operators, physician found guilty of $17M Medicare fraud scheme
Two clinic owner-operators and a physician in Texas were found guilty of participating in a $17 million Medicare fraud scheme.
2. Illinois Supreme Court: Hospitals' property tax exemption is constitutional
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Sept. 21 that nonprofit hospitals in the state do not have to pay property taxes as long as the value of the charitable services they provide is equal to or greater than the taxes they would have paid.
3. Advocacy group sues Arizona State Hospital over patient record access
The Arizona Center for Disability Law filed a lawsuit against top officials at the Arizona State Hospital, a public psychiatric hospital in Phoenix, on Sept. 12, alleging they refused to provide the group access to the facility, patients and records.
4. UMass Memorial pays $230K to settle data breaches affecting 15K patients
UMass Memorial Health Care in Worcester, Mass., agreed to pay a $230,000 settlement to resolve claims that two separate data breaches exposed the personal and health information of more than 15,000 patients.
5. Physician sentenced to 5 months in prison for obstructing Medicare audit
A Florida physician was sentenced to five months in prison for lying to a Medicare program integrity contractor during an audit.
6. Partners, Massachusetts Eye and Ear settle deceptive billing allegations
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Sept. 12 that Boston-based Partners HealthCare and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary agreed to pay $175,000 to settle allegations they violated Massachusetts' consumer protection law by failing to provide certain billing information to patients.
7. Maryland attorney general sues Trump administration to prevent dismantling of ACA
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh sued the Trump administration over efforts he says are intended to undo the ACA.
8. Texas hospital asks judge to dismiss Aetna's claims in billing suit
North Cypress (Texas) Medical Center requested that a federal judge nix Aetna's claims in a lawsuit stating the health insurer paid too little on thousands of medical claims.
9. 350+ patients settle lawsuit with Pennsylvania hospital over fugitive physician's misdiagnoses
West Chester (Ohio) Hospital recently settled lawsuits with hundreds of patients who were treated by a former physician who has since fled the country.
10. AbbVie hit with lawsuit over alleged $1.2B kickback scheme
AbbVie was sued by the California Department of Insurance for allegedly orchestrating a wide-ranging kickback scheme to illegally boost prescriptions of its best-selling arthritis drug Humira.
11. Patient advocates, healthcare groups sue Trump administration to block short-term health plans
The Trump administration is being sued by patient advocates and other healthcare groups over its decision to expand availability of short-term health plans that do not ensure a full set of health benefits.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
New York regulators to probe $660K payment to former CEO of SUNY Upstate Medical University
Dignity Health's timekeeping software denies nurses overtime pay, lawsuit alleges
Orlando Health hit with $100M defamation suit by fired physician