Legal & Regulatory Issues

Seattle Children's Hospital and the Texas Office of the Attorney General have reached an agreement for the hospital to withdraw its state business registration voluntarily on or before April 26.

The owner of a Pittsburgh-based healthcare facility was indicted on 33 total charges of healthcare fraud, making false statements relating to healthcare matters and money laundering. 

Renton, Wash.-based Providence has been ordered by King County (Wash.) Judge Averil Rothrock to pay $200 million to more than 33,000 hourly employees after evidence revealed wage and meal break violations, The Seattle Times reported April 20. 

From three Pennsylvania health systems suing Aetna to the former CEO of Desert Healthcare filing a wrongful termination claim, here are eight lawsuits, settlements and legal developments Becker's has reported since April 12:

Within a new package of Florida healthcare laws is a debated measure to allow advanced birth centers to perform cesarean deliveries, permitting the surgical procedure outside of the hospital setting. 

CMS is auditing vertically integrated Medicare Part D sponsors, including pharmacy benefit managers and payers, according to HHS' Office of Inspector General.

Winston-Salem, N.C.,-based Novant Health has fired back against a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit that aims to prevent the health system's acquisition of two hospitals from Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. 

A nearly 40-year old federal law requires Medicare hospitals to provide all patients experiencing a medical emergency a medical screening and stabilizing care. Whether that includes abortion has been at the center of several lawsuits in states with strict abortion…

Conrado Bárzaga, MD, former CEO of Palm Springs, Calif.-based Desert Healthcare District & Foundation, has filed a claim alleging wrongful termination, the Desert Sun reported April 18.

A federal judge in Colorado ruled against Aurora-based Children's Hospital Colorado's challenge of a new Defense Department rule it said would cost the hospital millions of dollars, Colorado Politics reported April 18.