1. Surgeon’s libel claim poses threat to public welfare, Iowa hospital says
The Iowa Supreme Court is slated to decide whether hospitals can be sued for libel after reporting suspected physician misconduct to state licensing boards.
2. CVS sues former Aetna exec to block move to Cigna
CVS Health is suing Aetna’s former chief Medicare officer in an attempt to block him from going to work for Cigna.
3. Dialysis company hit with False Claims Act suit
A former employee filed an amended whistleblower complaint against Fresenius Medical Care North America, alleging the dialysis company had unlawful arrangements with hospitals and nephrologists that violated the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute.
4. Oncologists lose appeal over Medicare payment cuts
An oncologist group lost a bid to have a court review its legal challenge to an automatic 2 percent cut in Medicare reimbursement that began seven years ago for intravenous cancer treatments and other drugs.
5. Judge dismisses suit accusing HHS of letting drugmakers skirt 340B rules
A federal judge in California granted a motion Feb. 17 to dismiss a lawsuit accusing HHS of failing to force drugmakers to pay 340B discounts to hospitals that dispense drugs through community pharmacies.
6. Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi ordered to pay $834M for improper drug marketing
Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi were ordered to pay $834 million to the state of Hawaii after a judge ruled that the drugmakers misleadingly marketed their blood-thinning drug, Plavix.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
Former hospital chain CEO wins nearly $1M in fees in whistleblower case
CEO gets 15 years in prison for $150M healthcare fraud
Tenet must pay whistleblowing cardiologists $10M, court rules
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