Legal & Regulatory Issues

A U.S. district court on Sept. 16 approved an antitrust settlement agreement between the Justice Department, Geisinger and Evangelical Community Hospital, according to The Daily Item.

A former human resource coordinator and the owner of a recruiting company have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud two hospital management companies, the Justice Department announced Sept. 10. 

A Kentucky hospital is not required to administer ivermectin to a patient despite a lawsuit from the patient's wife demanding the hospital do so, a judge ruled Sept. 15, according to The Washington Post. 

MMM Healthcare, an Anthem subsidiary, was served a federal penalty by CMS for failing to hit the 85 percent premium spending threshold, banning it from select enrollments starting Jan. 1, 2022. 

A division of the Justice Department filed an appeal Sept. 15 to block Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy plan, which was approved by a federal bankruptcy judge Sept. 1, NPR reported. 

Ashish Pal, MD, an Orlando, Fla.-based cardiologist, paid $6.75 million to resolve allegations from the Justice Department that he violated the False Claims Act by performing medically unnecessary procedures for profit.

CMS placed sanctions on three of UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage plans, barring them from being sold in six states. 

A federal court has granted 17 medical workers' motion for a temporary restraining order against the governor and the state Department of Health regarding New York's COVID-19 vaccine mandate that excludes religious exemptions, according to court documents filed Sept. 14.

The United States has filed a False Claims Act complaint against Buffalo, N.Y.-based Independent Health, its subsidiary DxID and former DxID CEO Betsy Gaffney. 

The rollout of Texas' Senate Bill 8, dubbed the Heartbeat Act, which bans abortions six weeks after conception, may jeopardize health plans that provide abortion coverage.