A federal judge ruled March 6 that The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grades for five Florida hospitals constitutes “an unfair and deceptive business practice,” finding Leapfrog deliberately punished the hospitals for not participating in its voluntary survey by assigning them…

The Republican-controlled House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent letters March 3 to 10 states — California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington — requesting information on fraud, waste and abuse, as well as integrity efforts, in…

Maine is considering a bill that would set a maximum price for hospital procedures in order to cut healthcare costs, but Portland-based MaineHealth warned the cap would drive layoffs and service closures, NBC affiliate News Center Maine reported March 4.…

Federal regulators have lifted the immediate jeopardy status at Mission Hospital, Greg Lowe, CEO of the Asheville, N.C.-based hospital, said in a March 4 memo to staff.  CMS placed the hospital in immediate jeopardy in late January, citing multiple patient…

Minnesota filed a lawsuit against CMS and HHS, as well as their respective leaders, Mehmet Oz, MD, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., regarding $243.8 million in deferred Medicaid funds, according to March 2 documents filed through the U.S. District Court…

The New York State Attorney General has ordered New York City-based NYU Langone Health to restore its transgender youth health program, less than two weeks after the hospital said it was discontinuing the program for adolescents.  “You are hereby advised…

K. Craig Kent, MD, former CEO of Charlottesville-based UVA Health, has filed a defamation lawsuit against a law firm in connection with his departure from the health system. He is seeking about $34 million damages. Here are five things to…

Indiana lawmakers have passed legislation banning health insurers from penalizing hospitals for using out-of-network providers, a direct rebuke of Elevance Health in its home state. The bill received final legislative approval on Feb. 26 and now heads to Gov. Mike…

On Feb. 25, physician staffing groups filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in California against the BCBS Association and over 30 of its licensees — along with plan owners Elevance Health, Highmark, GuideWell, Cambia Health Solutions and Health Care Service Corp.…

The Oregon Senate voted Feb. 24 in favor of a bill that, if passed, would require hospitals to treat a patient’s citizenship or immigration status the same as protected health information.  The Healthcare Without Fear Act will need to pass…