Legal & Regulatory Issues

Madison-based UW Medical Foundation has reached an agreement with Physicians Plus, putting an end to the insurer's lawsuit, according to a Wisconsin State Journal report.

Section 6001 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act creates additional requirements to and limitations on the whole hospital exception to the Stark Law prohibition on physician referrals to physician-owned hospitals. The PPACA includes an expansion prohibition that prohibits…

The New York Times recently reported that hospital executives are receptive to the Obama administration’s idea to have consumers report medical mistakes and unsafe practices, but several physician lawmakers expressed concern for the proposed policy, according to the American Society…

HHS and the Department of Justice announced its Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged 91 people — ranging from hospital administrators to physicians — for allegedly billing Medicare for $429.2 million in false claims.

The HHS Office of Inspector General has released its work plan for fiscal year 2013, a portion of which details the activities it will conduct in its review of Medicare payments and hospital services in the upcoming year.

Service Employees International Union Local 1991 has sued Miami's Jackson Health System and CEO Carlos Migoya over public record requests about hospital business, according to a South Florida Business Journal report.

Anthem Blue Cross has reached a $150,000 settlement with California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, resolving allegations that the company failed to protect Social Security numbers for its members.

Albany, Ga.-based Phoebe Putney Health System has filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court, saying the Federal Trade Commission has no role to play in its acquisition of Phoebe Putney's only nearby competitor, Palmyra Medical Center.

The following hospital lawsuits, settlements or legal developments were reported within the past month, beginning with the most recent.

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed several new pieces of legislation last week that will work toward implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but he also vetoed two bills that targeted the state's individual health insurance market.