1. New Jersey Hospital Files Suit Against Horizon BCBS — Bayonne (N.J.) Medical Center has filed a federal law suit against Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, alleging the insurer of “intimidating” patients into leaving the hospital to avoid high medical bills.
2. Hospital CFO Whistle-Blower Leads to $2.4M Medicare Antikickback Settlement — Tulare (Calif.) Regional Medical Center and its parent Tulare District Healthcare System have agreed to pay $2.4 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging they provided kickbacks to physicians in return for referrals.
3. Federal Appeals Court Rules Hospital But Not Physicians’ Practice Immune From Unfair Competition Claims — A federal appeals court upheld a district court ruling that Westchester County Health Care Corporation, a public benefit corporation created by the state of New York that operates Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y., is immune from unfair competition claims brought forth by two cardiothoracic surgeons, whose privileges were revoked following an exclusive agreement by the hospital with a competing practice, New York Cardiothoracic Group.
4. New Mexico Hospital Named in $17M Lawsuit — Mimbres Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home in Deming, N.M., part of the Community Health Systems, has been named in $17 million lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for violations of the federal False Claims Act, among other allegations.
5. Fired California Hospital Executives Sue Public Health District — A group of former executives from Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, Calif., is suing Tri-City Healthcare District, which operates the hospital, and four of its board members for wrongful firing and defamation for $7 million.
6. Lawsuit Over Ownership of New Hampshire Hospital Moves to Trial — A Superior Court judge ruled not to dismiss a suit between the Portsmouth, N.H.-based Foundation for Seacoast Health and Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA over the ownership of Portsmouth Regional Hospital, and the case will now go to trial in September.
7. Legislators Consider Decreasing Hospital Tax Breaks — Legislators working to develop healthcare reform are considering provisions that would decrease the size of tax breaks received by U.S. hospitals to provide charity care.
8. ER Physician Sues New York Hospital — Michael Lippe, MD, has filed a suit against Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, N.Y., alleging the hospital violated his contract by hiring another company to deliver emergency care without notifying him.
9. Two Texas Nurses Indicted After Complaining About Hospital Physician — Two Texas nurses who filed a complaint about a physician’s standard of practice were indicted on charges of the misuse of official information.
10. Indiana Hospital and Cardiology Practice to Merge — Indianapolis-based St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers and Indiana Heart Physicians, a 23-physician cardiology practices, will merge, effective Aug. 1.
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